General Lake Vermilion Information:
Lake Vermilion is a paradise of sparkling water, lush
boreal forests and endless scenic shorelines.
Hundreds of miles of underwater reefs, sunken islands
and drop-offs create ideal habitats for walleye, bass, northern
pike and pan fish. It is also home to 265 loons, osprey, and many
nesting eagles as well as countless waterfowl.
For a breathtaking experience, watch the sun rise or set over
1,200 miles of shoreline, 365 islands and the protected bays and
inlets of Lake Vermilion. It is the perfect backdrop for peaceful
relaxation or active adventure.
Lake Vermilion is surrounded by rugged forests, northland marshes,
meadows and bogs, where plant and animal life abound. The lake
itself includes more than 40,000 acres of sky blue waters stretching
35 miles across the heart of Minnesota's Arrowhead Region. It
invites you to experience days of unmatched natural displays of
wildlife and breathtaking scenery.
Lake Vermilion General Information –
Lake Area: 40,557 acres
Mean Depth: 19.1 feet
Maximum Depth: 76 feet
Number of Islands: 365
Miles of Shoreline: 313
US Rank (Largest in Size): 50th
Minnesota Rank: 7th
Watershed Area: 313,531 acres
The water that flows in and out of Lake Vermilion and goes north
to the Hudson Bay because it is north of the Laurentian Divide.
History -
Lake Vermilion was translated by the French from “Onamuni”
which means “Lake of the Sunset Glow,” to the Latin
word vermilion for a color ranging from yellow to red.
Archaeological evidence suggests that American Indians have been
living in the Lake Vermilion area from before 7000 B.C. In the
mid 1600’s French explorers and fur traders became the first
Europeans to discover the beautiful shores of this lake.
The Treaty of Paris in 1763 which divided the United States and
Canada, placed the city of Tower (which is one of the gateway
cities of Lake Vermilion) in Canada’s territory. While Cook,
Minnesota (the other gateway city to Lake Vermilion) was in United
States territory. In 1842 American officials convinced Great Britain
that the Grand Portage travel route to the north as described
in the Treaty of Paris, establishing Lake Vermilion well within
US borders.
In 1865, deposits of gold were found along Vermilion and the gold
rush was on. The geological survey team that discovered the gold
cut a crude road to the gold fields along a centuries-old travel
route used by the Native Americans. This became known as the Vermilion
Trail; it was no picnic to traverse this trail, it took three
days and two nights to cover 100+ miles of wagon. Mining began
in 1866, but after several years of effort, no appreciable amount
of gold was found.
It was at about the same time that iron ore was discovered, but
because of technological development and economic issues, the
mining didn’t take root until the 1880’s. The infamous
Soudan Iron Mine was officially opened in 1884, which began the
utilization of one of the richest iron deposits in the United
States.
As the mine grew, so did the cities of Tower and Soudan. Soudan
was where the mine was located and where all the central operations
occured. Tower is the oldest city north of Duluth, and although
independent from the mine, grew with it. Back then, Tower was
literally the end of the road, and was the only outpost of civilization
on the Vermilion Iron Range.
All across the lake, lumber camps, homesteads and businesses developed.
To maintain water levels, Tower’s logging interests built
a dam at the head of the Vermilion river in 1890.
Tower’s population in 1890 was 3,000; by 1891 the population
doubled to 6,000. Which was the highest population that the town
has seen even to this day.
A lumber producing community of Ashawa began to develop near the
west end; which was renamed to Cook because Ashawa was too similar
to another city in Minnesota.
Mining operations ended in 1962 with the last stockpiled ore shipped
the following year. U.S. Steel donated a lot of land along Lake
Vermilion to the State of Minnesota shortly thereafter.
Tower made national news on February 2, 1996 when it broke the
Minnesota record for the coldest official temperature. It got
-60oF the previous night.
Outlook -
Lake Vermilion was declared as one of the top 10 most scenic lakes
in the United States in 1940 per National Geographic Magazine,
and to many it still is today. However, if historical development
trends continue over the next 20 years, it is estimated that:
an additional 600-700 new single family homes impacting 20-30
miles of shoreline, 1,200-1,400 new water based structures such
as boat houses and docks, 500 additions on existing homes, and
800 new accessory structures. b
Physical State –
Lake Vermilion is a very diverse lake, with most of it’s
watershed covered by wetland and forest. More recently resident
desire for lake views have affected the lakes character, aesthetics,
run-off, vegetation screening, and lake water quality.
Lake Vermilion’s water quality is slightly below average
compared to other Northern Lake Forest eco region. Overall the
water quality has improved significantly since 1976 where the
secchi disc reading was at 5.2 feet, where as now it is at 9.2
feet. According to Carlson’s Trophic State Index, Lake Vermilion
is a 50 which would be a mesotrophic lake
Some of the more recent problems arise from the fact that there
are so many boats on the lake that the risk of exotic species
being introduced to the lake increases dramatically.
Biological State –
There is a hatchery on Lake Vermilion that stocks the lake with
walleye, muskie, and northern pike. In 2004 3,953 muskie fingerlings,
13,800 northern pike, and 25,150,000 walleye fry were stocked
in the lake. there has been a very successful muskie program that
earns the lake the title of one of the top fisheries in Minnesota.
In addition to the aquatic animals, big game such as black bear,
moose, and white tail deer depend on the lake for survival, for
both food and water.
Toxicology –
The biggest challenge that faces Lake Vermilion today is run-off
from lawns. The phosphorous from the fertilizer could cause more
frequent algal blooms which block out the sun for the aquatic
plants to photosynthesize. Another problem that has been almost
entirely fixed is the seepage of waste water into the lake which
attributed to the low secchi disc readings in the late 70’s
and early 80’s. Most of Lake Vermilion’s wetlands
remain intact and have had minimal impact to date.
