Roy's Last Resort - Lake Vermilion

06/11/2024

Thank you Mike, Louise, and Gordy Kickels for capturing this video and thank you for staying with us this week!

04/04/2024

Tap The Vermilion Club and then like
Let's get them to the final win
💯

01/11/2024

TRAIL REPORT WEEK 7

Greetings riders.

Well, we finally have a fun report to write and it only took until week 7...oh well.

WEATHER: The big storm of last weekend dropped about 4 inches of fairly sticky snow. After that we got a couple small ones of an inch or so. Then, last night thru today we got a totally unexpected 8 inches or so of pure fluff. Go figure. So now we are making progress, not exactly in the proper order but progress for sure. Now the cold rolls in to finish the job.

TRAILS: The trails/swamps were not sufficiently frozen before this snow but the upcoming cold will certainly help - a lot. Again, if you run the trails, run abreast and wide not single file down the middle. We need them packed to facilitate freezing the swamps. We hope to start grooming next week.

LAKES: We are staking east Vermilion on Saturday so it should be ready to ride at least on the staked trails. There are still potential hazards even on the staked trails - ice heaves, slush etc. so still exercise due care.

RIVERS: This coming cold will help freeze the rivers for sure.

PERSONAL NOTE: Today we clicked over 3000 followers on this page. As far as we can tell that's the second highest in the state and we are not far behind first - so let's get there. For that we thank you. We do this for you and the more of you there are the better we feel about it. So, if you haven't clicked follow, please do so. If you are already a follower thanks - please recruit your riding buddies and friends. Followers automatically get new posts on their feeds so it's quite convenient and a great way not to miss anything. And, it's an easy free way to show your support.

See ya on the snow -- finally!!!

01/05/2024

From the Vermilion Penguins Snowmobile Club
Take heed....

A Caution and a Reminder.

First, the CAUTION. We want everyone to know there is a considerable amount of bad/thin ice on Lake Vermilion, especially in the narrow areas like Moccasin Point and Oak Narrows and many others - some much less obvious.. Unless, you know the area very well we suggest you stay off the lake. And, know that it is not always safe to follow existing tracks. Some of those are made by locals who know the area super well and are able to take chances no one else should. As hard as it may be, we suggest staying off the lake until we get it staked and then stay on the staked trails.

REMINDER. The Fun Run is still on for February 3 with check points in Ely (GEL) , Babbitt (Fish Tales) and Tower (Good Old Days). This is a super fun day for all - snow or no snow - and regular vehicles are just as welcome to participate as sleds. This is a major fundraiser for all three clubs and it's only $25 until January 30 then bumps up to $30. Hundreds of fun prizes will be given away starting at 7:30 at Fortune Bay. The Grand Prize courtesy of Fortune Bay is $1000.00 with $500.00 to the runner up! This is especially fun for kids as all or almost all will win something. Make your check payable to Fun Run and mail to P.O.Box 325 Ely. MN 55731 .

This is a great way to support snowmobiling no matter where you live and you can buy a ticket even if you can't make it in person. All the proceeds will go into trail maintenance, grooming, staking and all those things you use every time you ride. So, for the price of a burger you can help us out and feel good about yourself. Lets go!!!

08/15/2023

21 ft Bennington Pontoon rental now available during your stay. Contact us for more details.

05/09/2023

05/09/2023

Our 3 Bedroom cabin is available this weekend for Walleye Opener! - $650 Friday to Monday. Docks will be installed on Thursday and ready for your boat.

Book Direct - RoysLastResort.com

04/12/2023

We officially have three rental cabins now available for 2023 season at Roy's Last Resort - Lake Vermilion. Photos of the third cabin will be coming soon as we finish getting it furnished.

For those that have stayed before this is the cabin Roy and Denise were living in. It has the same great view that Lakeview cabin has, three bedrooms, and a deck on the lakeside of the cabin.

2023 is discounted in the newly added 3 bedroom cabin while we get reviews and photos. Book now on our website for the best rates!

03/30/2023

Great job this year!
Thank you all for what you do!

Greetings,

Well here we are at season's end after quite the journey. Grant-in-Aid trails by law close tomorrow at midnight. After that it is trespassing; please don't do that.

We are predicted to get some decent snow tonite/tomorrow so we will get in one last ride. How special to ride on the very last day.

An even bigger dump is now forecast for early next week - damn!!!

Here's a small tip for those who just can't quit: Lake Vermilion is uniquely situated for late season riding. The state trails on public land do not close tomorrow (open as long as conditions allow) and we are lucky enough to be very near the intersection of the state's two best trails, Taconite and Arrowhead which are still in decent shape so you can ride all you want from Ely to Grand Rapids (Taconite) and from Tower to International Falls (Arrowhead). Accessing local businesses might be a challenge w/o using local trails so maybe pack a sandwich and a pop. Plus, lakes and rivers are fair game as long as conditions allow. Lake Vermilion is 40 miles long and half that wide with 1200 miles of shoreline to track up and the Vermilion River will take you from here to Crane Lake and back. So if you need one last fix, this is the place. Enjoy.

Next, we start putting stuff to bed for the summer. Stay tuned as we will need some help with chores like removing signs and stakes.

01/26/2023

There’s no better way to experience the Northwoods with its towering trees, gentle hills, and rocky outcroppings than on a pair of cross-country skis! To see what it’s all about, go to https://lakevermilionresorts.com/winter/cross-country-skiing/.

Explore Minnesota Tourism

12/15/2022

09/22/2022

Happy First Day of Fall! 🍁

Fall is the perfect time to get away from the hustle and bustle. The changing of seasons brings wonder to Lake Vermilion with breathtaking fall colors and crisp cool nights, perfect for a campfire.

Come join us! https://lakevermilionresorts.com/

09/18/2022

Shout out to Dan at Halstead Laser Engraving for our cups..we love them and we will be talking :)

09/14/2022

There's always something to do at Lake Vermilion. From swimming, fishing and boating, to skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing—we've got it all!

Book your stay now! https://lakevermilionresorts.com/

08/23/2022

Our 3 bedroom cabin is open this coming weekend. Don't miss this chance to get to the north woods before kids go back to school!

08/11/2022

Way to go Roy!
Nice way to end the day 🤗
Thank you Ryan Robarge for taking him out
You're the best!

07/20/2022

Lakeview Cabin is available for this coming weekend. If you were waiting for an opportunity to get up north message us for a great deal or book it direct on our website

05/10/2022

Walleye Opener 2022 is on!
We have open water as of today...
Behold, the time to go Walleye fishing is upon us!

04/08/2022

The ice is out on Rainy River.

03/31/2022

Just a quick note to advise the GIA trails close tomorrow. Use after today is technically trespassing so please stay off in respect to our generous landowners.

BTW: thanks to those landowners for their generosity in sharing their land for another season. You are greatly appreciated.

03/14/2022

Trail Report. 3.10.22

Since this might be the last time we get to say it this year, we will shout as loudly as we can:

EVERYTHING IS IN SPECTACULAR SHAPE

We know because we rode all day long.

Lake Vermilion to Arrowhead to Bearskin (thanks Cook Timberwolves) to Tim Corey to Taconite to Arrowhead to Lake Vermilion. All was about as perfect as perfect gets, thick base, fresh grooming, perfect temps. No dirt, no rocks, no sloppy corners, no sun damage and only a small handful of moguls. And, surprisingly very little traffic. Where is everybody? This might be the last best weekend as a warmup is coming. If there is any way to possibly do it, get out and enjoy one last perfect ride.

See you on the snow.

03/08/2022

Late Ice in Minnesota

The deadline for removing fish houses in the MN South zone is March 7th

The deadline for removing fish houses in the MN North zone is March 21st

Tips for late-season ice fishing

• Late ice can offer some of the best crappie/perch fishing of the year when high temperatures melt the ice during the daylight and then freeze back at night
• Fishing can be comfortable outside.
• Thawing ice during the day provides nutrients and different bugs to the water
• Crappies come up shallow in the winter, sometimes 5-10 feet of water
• Walleye’s also starting to move up to shallower water
• Focus on w**d beds
• Drill lots of holes until you get on fish, don’t hesitate to try around
• Travel light

01/28/2022

01/28/2022

Short and Sweet

That pretty well sums up this weeks trail report.

With a few inches of new snow, everything is in tip top shape with a decent base and regular grooming. The lakes are a bit drifty as we had some serious wind this week so be careful especially off the staked trailsl. It has been cold so traffic has been light but the worst of it is over and average temps are now climbing. Pick up the phone and call your fav lodge, you don't want to miss this.

One caution: The Arrowhead 135 will be run on the Arrowhead (duh!) Trail Monday thru Wednesday so there will be skiers, runners and bikers to share the trail with. Please be careful and give them plenty of room as they attempt the near impossible.

We hope to see ya soon.

01/23/2022

ICE FISHING ON LAKE VERMILION
Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of January 17th, 2022
The ice fishing bite on Lake Vermilion has remained strong over the past few weeks. Fish are becoming less aggressive as the ice cover thickens but staying mobile and using a wide variety of presentations to trigger bites has yielded success. Ice conditions on Lake Vermilion are fantastic, with 16” plus of ice in most locations. Channels and areas with current have considerably less so express caution in those areas. There is around 8” to 12” of snow in most spots on the lake with a few patches of slush, although most slush has frozen through because of the recent cold temperatures. The staked snowmobile trail still runs continuously from the east to west ends of Lake Vermilion which provides guidance for those unfamiliar to the area and connects the areas local snowmobile trails. The next several weeks most daytime highs are in the single digits to teens which should give anglers plenty of opportunity to get out fishing. Use contour mapping of Lake Vermilion to plan ahead and spend less time drilling holes in cold temperatures.
Walleye
The walleye bite has slowed down from the initial first ice flurry. The best walleye fishing has been from 22’ to 32’ of water and the fish have begun to push out into the deeper basins chasing small baitfish which are relating to various bugs and zooplankton. Rock to mud transitions zones have yielded the most success. Finding these transitions zones can be done by using a contour map and fishing on the edge of rocky fingers and underwater points that extend out into deep basins of 30’ to 40’ of water. Fish the edge of these fingers where the sharpest drop is or where your map shows the closest together contour lines. As always walleyes are still being caught in shallower water of 14’ to 18’ feet during the dawn and dusk hours. Snap jigging artificial baits has produced more fish than the typical spoon with a minnow head. Aggressively snap jigging slab raps, jigging raps, or puppet minnows has triggered walleyes and jumbo perch into a reaction bite when they would otherwise pass up on your bait. A 1/8 ounce or ¼ ounce spoon tipped with a whole minnow has also produced fish. Most walleyes caught jigging have been in the 12” to 17” range while larger walleyes are still being caught on sucker minnows with a plain red hook beneath a tip up or rattle reel. Pictured below are examples of baits used to trigger reaction bites.

Northern Pike
Northern pike are relating to vegetation that has not yet died off from lack of sunlight and thickening ice cover. Focusing on large cabbage beds in 7’ to 12’ of water where forage and baitfish are present has been most productive, although few cabbage beds remain. During the lower light periods larger pike can be found off rocky points and sandbars adjacent to 20’ plus of water. Soaking large sucker minnows under tip ups or dark house spearing has been most productive for northern pike.
Panfish
Using 1/16 oz. tungsten jigs tipped with several wax worms or a small crappie minnow with a 1/8 oz. jig and bobber has still been working well for both crappies and bluegills. Crappies are being found on the edges of deep-water basins. Success can be found working the edges of these deep holes in depths 3’ to 5’ shallow than what the maximum depth of the deep hole is. Crappies are being found over mud bottoms right now. A few whitefish and tullibee are being caught along with crappies in deep basins. Bluegills are being found in locations where typical w**d growth occurs in the summer months in 8’ to 11’ of water. These areas are now mostly absent of w**ds and are just a shallow mud flat with minimal w**d growth on the bottom. Using a 1/16 oz. tungsten tipped with wax worms has been most productive. When you get on a school of bluegill jig 2’ to 3’ above of where the school is sitting as this separation will often deter smaller fish from hitting your bait. Jumbo perch have also moved out into deeper water of 26’ to 30’ over mud bottoms. Using a 1/8 oz. or ¼ oz. spoon tipped with several wax worms or a minnow head has been most productive, but perch are also being caught on 1/16th ounce jigging raps.
MN DNR Need-to-Knows
Please refer to MN DNR safe ice recommendations for walking and driving. Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. There is a little over a month of walleye season left on Lake Vermilion as walleye fishing closes February 27th. Ice anglers may be met by creel clerks from the MN DNR conducting a wintertime creel survey until February 27th. The creel survey is conducted to gather information about the status of Lake Vermilion as a fishery. This is the first wintertime creel survey since the 1985-1986 winter.
Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

01/11/2022

2022 Ride Schedule

We occasionally get questions about club rides so we will try to answer some of them here so everyone knows.

First and most importantly, everyone is welcome. It is an opportunity for us and others to enjoy the fruits of our labor and enjoy the beauty of our borderland country.

The rides are generally on Saturday starting at 10:00 a.m from the clubhouse on CR 77. We usual to ride out about 2-3 hours to a destination restaurant, have lunch and then take a different route back. As you an see our loops vary - we mix up directions and terrain as much as we can.

We usually have 6 to 12 or so riders (some two up) both male (Penguys) and female (Pengals) who vary in age and riding skills. So we ride family style - meaning slow enough so everyone can comfortably keep up but fast enough so folks don't get bored. Safety is a prime consideration. We try mix up the ride too, using trails, lakes and rivers wherever possible. So those who want to stretch their tracks a bit and markup some fresh snow usually have some time to do that.

We have a relaxed lunch mid-day so all can warm up, fill up (gas and food) and socialize a bit. It is a friendly group so do not be intimidated to join in - odds are you will feel at home within minutes and it's a great way to meet new people and explore some country. And, it's free except for lunch which is on you.

So come join us - we can almost guarantee a fun time. Watch this site for ride confirmation (sometimes the Wx gets in the way) and any last minute changes.

See ya Saturday.

01/11/2022

Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend is this Saturday, Jan. 15, through Monday, Jan. 17. During the weekend, Minnesota residents can go ice fishing for free if they are fishing with a child 15 years old or younger. Minnesotans 15 years old or younger don’t need fishing licenses any time of the year. 🐟🐟🐟 Ahead of the weekend, want some ice fishing tips and techniques for catching sunfish, crappie and perch? Register for our free ice fishing webinar! It’s at noon Wednesday, Jan. 12, hosted by Scott Mackenthun, a DNR area fisheries supervisor. mndnr.gov/discover

01/09/2022

Yesterday was near perfect day sandwiched into a rather cold streak, so some Penguins went for a ride. Here's what they found:

Lake Vermilion is in superb shape. Minimal slush. Plenty of snow that is a bit drifty (sastrugi) from the new snow blowing around, but no real problem.

The Taconite was even better the was expected, freshly groomed with very little traffic. Even the ever rocky east end was in great shape.

Except for a few on Shagawa, the Ely area Lakes were not staked but that apparently is getting done soon, maybe even some today.

Burntside was, not surprisingly, quite slushy. A staked trail should cure that and it is still very rideable - just watch for slush - fresh and especialy frozen over patches which can be rough.

The Mud Creek Trail has not yet been groomed so is a bit rough but still very rideable and it's not that long so don't shy away from that.

In short everything is in great shape and will only get better.

The picture below, pretty well sums up what was experienced. It looks east on the Taconite about 10 miles from Ely.

If you don't yet have a trip planned better get to it, you won't want to miss these conditions - no way.

See ya out there.

P.S. Another Penguin went west and north on the Arrowhead which was nicely groomed and in good shape but could use a little more snow.

01/07/2022

Trail Report:

Oh Boy!!! Where to start? This will be a fun one. Everything is coming together in a spectacular fashion.

Since last week we got another 5-8 inches of dense snow and a lot of swamp freezing cold. We can still use more snow but there is plenty to get you around now.

Lakes: Vermilion remains in great shape altho it might be a bit drifty (sastrugi) given the stiff winds and fresh snow of late. The Ely and other area lakes are rideable with some care - we do not know the status of staking.

Trails: Our trails have all been groomed or will be by the weekend, the big tractors are out. The DNR reports all its area trails will also be groomed by the weekend; Taconite, Arrowhead, Putnam Lakes etc. We are getting similar reports from all neighboring clubs. In short, pretty much any trail you can reach from here will be groomed. They could use a bit more snow but they are very rideable, so go for it. It doesn't get a whole lot better this early in the season.

River: the Vermilion River is still not on our recommended list as it is still in rough shape due mainly to low water conditions.

So there you have it, just what we have been waiting a very long time for. Time to get out and stretch those tracks.

Have fun, be safe and we'll see ya on the trails (or Lake).