The Vermilion River

The Vermilion River is located in northern Ohio. It is a tributary of Lake Erie. The river was named due to the reddish clay that is the major local soil along its route. The river is commonly muddy after rains. At the rivers headwaters, many local farms feed it and commonly stays muddy days longer than other rivers that are larger than it. It is more of a rural river by nature and a good set of legs are required since hiking is required to reach the good fishing.

The Vermilion is at the top of steelhead alley for its beauty. This heavily forested river has plenty of trails through the public metro parks to explore, plenty of wildlife, and a great bottom composition made of shale. Lake Erie steelhead flock to the Vermilion River because is offers a desired shale to gravel ratio making it a perfect habitat for steelhead to spawn and winter. It has classic riffle and pool areas, solid holes that range from 3 to 7 feet deep, and cut shale banks. Upstream portions are mostly made up of gravel and pools and moderate amounts of shale. The middle section has a bit of everything from unproductive shale to a great river turn with gravel above and below a real nice hole. The lower section is shale and holes with less gravel but solid depth and great cuts.

The Vermilion has something for everyone. It can be fished with many different techniques and tackle options. It gives anglers a chance to fish any preference and still be productive. You can also beat the crowds if you like to hike and the scenery is wild in nature. For these reasons, Fish With Jim Outfitters offers quality steelhead trips on this west-side jewel.