Vermilion Lake
St. Louis County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Vermilion Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- spiny waterflea
- Public access
- Limited data
Vermilion Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility.
Vermilion Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Vermilion Lake has 5 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Vermilion Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Vermilion Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Vermilion Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Vermilion Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Vermilion Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Vermilion Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Vermilion Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Vermilion Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 42 field readings (2019–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Vermilion Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Vermilion Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — Pike BayPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Recreation & Access
- Stuntz BayPublic
- Hoodoo Point (South)Public
- Everett BayPublic
- Hoodoo Point (North)Public
- McKinley ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Vermilion Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Vermilion Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Vermilion Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Vermilion Lake’s readings
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Fishing Vermilion Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Vermilion Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Cultural, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0378-03 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Vermilion Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Lake Vermillion WwslTower · 1.1 mi away · NPDES MN0061310Recent violation
- Tower-Breitung Joint WwtfSoudan · 2.4 mi away · NPDES MN0056618
- Tower/Breitung WwtpSoudan · 2.5 mi away · NPDES MN0072192
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Vermilion Lake
Where is Vermilion Lake?
- Vermilion Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Vermilion Lake?
- Vermilion Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility.
Is Vermilion Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Vermilion Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Vermilion Lake?
- Vermilion Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 42 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Vermilion Lake?
- Vermilion Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Stuntz Bay, Hoodoo Point (South), Everett Bay, Hoodoo Point (North), among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Vermilion Lake?
- Vermilion Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Vermilion Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in St. Louis County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
48 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA48 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory