2019 Lake Vermilion ice out begins right on schedule. Add rain to the more than generous snow fall of the season and the Pike River dam is armed and ready for some serious flow. Check out our annual video and note the progress as the open water makes its way toward the first bend. Always an exciting sight as we all know as soon as it clears the Pike River Hatchery the cradles and net installation will begin.

If you find you need to play it more than one time just to listen to that beautiful sound – we understand!

https://youtu.be/2G131UX0fdo

Two feet of ice still cover the lake, but the warm sun has already taken its toll on the quality. While the next few days still come with cold nights, there is a great stretch of mid 50 degree days, nights above freezing and rain. A perfect combination for moving things along. If you haven’t made your plans for your spring trip to Lake Vermilion, now is the time!

Stop wishing…come fishing!