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Vermilion River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Steelhead alley’s scenic cut: the Vermilion’s shale gorge runs chrome from October ice to April gravel.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
20 cfs
Air / High
78 / 79 F
Wind
W 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 04199500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Vermilion River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 20 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind W around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 79. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutExcellent

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadFair

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 76 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Vermilion River near Vermilion.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04199500.

5514723920 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low79 / 69 F
WindW 6-9 mph
Pressure1013.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 56%
Sunrise / Sunset06:58 / 19:57
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 79/69 F, wind 14 mph, rain 56%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Vermilion River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Vermilion River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Vermilion River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 93 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 15 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 91 F, wind to 15 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Ohio requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Ohio license. Steelhead within the Lake Erie trout limit (check current ODNR numbers); no closed season on the river.

Access

Mill Hollow / Bacon Woods, Vermilion River Reservation, Schoepfle Garden, and the harbor breakwalls at Vermilion.

About this water

A Lake Erie steelhead tributary through Lorain and Erie counties, Ohio, entering the lake at Vermilion harbor.

Fishing Vermilion River: the full guide

The pretty one

Among Ohio’s steelhead streams, the Vermilion is the looker: a shale-walled gorge winding through Mill Hollow and the Vermilion River Reservation before meeting Lake Erie at the harbor town of Vermilion. Manistee-strain steelhead stack it from the first fall rains through the April spawn, and the river’s modest size makes it the most readable of the alley streams: pools, shale ledges and gravel tails you can learn in a weekend.

Alley tactics

Float-fishing rules: jigs tipped with maggots, spawn sacs and beads under fixed floats, drifted at current speed through the green-tinted pools. Fly anglers swing small buggers and egg patterns on the bigger bends. The river runs flashy: it blows out fast with rain and clears in two to four days: the falling limb between 100 and 300 cfs is prime. Winter thaws concentrate bright fish in the deep gorge pools.

The season arc

October brings the first pushes with the fall storms; December-February holds wintering fish in the slow pools (slow presentations, small baits); March-April spreads spawners over every gravel patch with the year’s best numbers. Smallmouth and rock bass take over from June: light-tackle wading water that Cleveland forgets about entirely.

Metropark access

Lorain County Metro Parks cover the best water: Mill Hollow (Bacon Woods) and the Vermilion River Reservation trails serve miles of gorge, with additional access at Schoepfle Garden and the harbor piers for fresh-run fish. Parking, trails and honest wading: bring cleats for the shale. The town of Vermilion makes the coffee stop.

Common questions

When do steelhead enter the Vermilion?

First real numbers with October rains, building to a March-April spawning peak. Every thaw and rain pulse brings fresh fish all winter.

What flow is fishable?

Falling water between roughly 100 and 300 cfs with green (not brown) color. It clears faster than the Rocky and slower than Conneaut.

Do I need a boat?

No: this is entirely a wading and bank fishery, and the metroparks put the whole gorge on foot.

Is fishing good at Vermilion River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Huron River12 miRocky River28 miChagrin River51 miMaumee River60 miGrand River62 miDetroit River66 mi
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