Attention Smallmouth Bass Fishers!

This page is written to give you a better understanding of the different seasonal fishing stages along with Smallmouth Bass movements during each stage on Little Vermilion Lake System throughout our open fishing season, and how Smallmouth Bass reacts during each stage. The information below will explain where Smallmouth Bass locate during the different seasonal fishing stages, then applies past knowledge of fishing techniques, lures, flies, and presentations, which have proven to be successful during each seasonal fishing stage. Please read this information and contact us if you have any further questions. Hopefully after reading the information below you will want to take part in the fabulous Smallmouth Bass Fishing available on Little Vermilion Lake System. Enjoy and hope to hear from you in the near future to help plan your next fishing trip to Canada. Fishing at Fireside Lodge is catch & release, which ensures guests of Fireside Lodge will have a fabulous fishing experience. 

Smallmouth Bass Fishing Information for Seasonal Fishing Stages

Pre-Spawn Stage

This stage starts at ice-out, normally May 5th-10th, and goes to June 1st to 15th, exact dates depending on the water temperatures. As the ice goes out the Smallmouth are still in their winter locations, which is 15 to 40 feet of water around main lake rock reef structures with deep-water access. Opening day at Fireside Lodge normally has the Smallmouth Bass located on rocky lake points and rock-reefs, which hold food, cover, and bring them close to their spawning grounds. Smallmouth Bass can be caught on a variety of presentations and lures. Shallow crank baits, twitching lures, plastic body baits, in-line spinners, and jigs have all been successful. Fly-Fishers will find flies imitating minnows, crayfish, or insect patterns productive, and good to have both floating and sinking line to cover all fishing locations. Presentations that work will vary anywhere from an erratic twitching motion, to a do nothing approach. Flexibility is important for any Smallmouth fisher during this fishing stage as the Smallmouth Bass location and feeding habits can quickly change. Adapting to changing conditions and fish locations will bring more success. From our tackle shop we will do our best to give you the most current information on Smallmouth Bass, to make your Smallmouth Fishing at Fireside Lodge successful. This fishing stage produces many numbers of actively feeding Smallmouth Bass, and many Trophy Smallmouth Bass are caught, with the females being full of spawn and very heavy.

Spawn Stage

Smallmouth Bass spawn starts with the nest building process and is triggered with water temperatures near 55F or 12.8C. Actual spawning takes place as the water temperatures approach 59F or 15C, and most egg deposition takes place when the water temperatures are between 61F or 16.1C to 65F or 18.3C. The dates when the spawn take place can fluctuate from late May to the third week in June. We would consider the start of the spawning process taking place from June 4th to the 8th normal. Smallmouth Bass will use traditional spawning locations every year taking place in hard bottom areas with a mixture of sand, rock, and boulders. Smallmouth Bass will make their nest under a tree or against a large boulder to provide protection and cover during the egg guarding process, which lasts about two weeks. The nests will look like an oval or circle of very clean gravel at the bottom of the lake. It can appear as a light or dark area depending on the type of gravel, the key is the gravel is clean and free of all bottom lake silt. Little Vermilion Lake System has hundreds of spawning areas, which is why we have a fabulous Smallmouth Bass population. When spawning Ladies Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canadatakes place most of the lake population can spawn within 24 hours. Some spawning grounds are early areas with some being late areas depending on sun exposure and how close the spawning area is to the colder main body of water. When the spawn is over females move off to slightly deeper water near structure, or a simple depth change. These spawned out females will stay in the same area for a while slowly feeding to re-gain strength. Males will guard the nest until the eggs hatch, and continue to guard the newly hatched fry until they consume their yolk sack. Then the last task the male leads the fry to nearby cover, which could be a weed-bed, rock shoreline, dock, or any other structure. At this point Smallmouth Bass fry will feed on plankton and just try to survive in the available cover. Smallmouth fishing at Fireside Lodge during the Spawn Stage will be along shorelines with bottom type of hard bottom areas with a mixture of sand, rock, and boulders. Lure types can vary from jigs, crank baits, soft plastics, twitching baits, in-line spinners, spinner-baits, and surface lures. Fly-fishing is fabulous with manyKid Fishing Trophy Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge in Canada types fly patterns representing a nymph, crayfish, minnow, leech, and small poppers being successful. When selecting lures or flies while targeting male Smallmouth Bass protecting the spawning beds, remember that they are attacking the lures & flies aggressively because the Smallmouth are trying to protect it’s eggs or fry not actually foraging for food. Five to six days after the spawn takes place the presentation can be fast, however after that time period the males get tired and are less aggressive. At his time a slower presentation, using pausing techniques and sometimes completely stopping your lure or fly in the area is most productive. If using a fast presentation at day 5-6 after the spawn, your lure or fly will often be ignored as the male bass just follows it slowly until it exits it’s protective zone. The fishing action during the spawn stage is usually fast and furious. Expect to catch many males Father Daughter Smallmouth Bass Fishing in CanadaSmallmouth Bass in the 14 to 18 inch class. If you decide to pursue the largest trophy females who have spawned out you will fish just off the spawning areas near the first available structure. The most successful presentation for fishing these monster female Smallmouth Bass is a slower jigging technique. The choice is all yours. Important Smallmouth Bass spawning facts all fisher’s should be aware of when fishing during this time period are listed below. While fishing for Smallmouth Bass during the spawn the below responsible actions should be taken by all fisher’s who catch Smallmouth Bass off their beds while protecting their eggs and fry: 1) Quickly Release Smallmouth Bass as close to the bed/nest as possible 2) If Smallmouth are not released near their nest within several minutes it can result in nest failure. Predators such as perch, sculpin, crayfish, suckers, sunfish, crappie, etc. Are always lurking near the nests waiting for an opportunity to eat the vulnerable eggs or fry If the wind blows you away from the nest while catching a Smallmouth Bass, nest success will increase if you can go back to nest area to release the Smallmouth. Do this as quickly as possible. 3) Smallmouth have many spawning areas throughout the lake so fish different areas every day, and many areas during each day. By doing this you accumulate many fishing spots and therefore increase your fishing knowledge and success. If you continue to fish the same areas you will be catching the same fish protecting the same nest, which will decrease chances of nest survival.

Late Summer/Fall Stage

This Smallmouth Bass fishing stage takes place between late August through late September. Smallmouth Bass are caught in the locations described in the summer and early summer stages above with some slight changes happening throughout this stage. As we move through this stage the main lake points leading into bays, weed-line breaks, shorelines with ledges leading into deep water, and reefs around deep water, especially ones near the weed-beds, become more important. Presentations will also change with changes in water temperatures, and as the water temps drop the use of more subtle techniques are needed. Paused or stop and go actions with suspending lures work, and jigging with soft plastics or live bait using a drop-shot rig or Carolina rigs can be very productive. On the Fly-Fishing end of things the Summer Stage patterns & techniques will work very well, and the need for sinking tip line with a slower presentation becomes more valuable for success as the water temperatures cool. If the water temps do not change then neither will the presentations. During this stage the Smallmouth Bass are feeding in preparation for Women Fishing Trophy Smallmouth Bass in Ontario Canadathe late fall and winter months, and as the water cools down so does the Smallmouth’s metabolism, and hence a slower presentation brings better results. Many Big and Trophy size Smallmouth are caught during this fishing stage. This is also a beautiful time of year having cooler nights, migratory birds start to gather and move, and some noticeable color change starts to take place in the trees and marsh areas. Being successful is all about being out on the lake fishing and having some knowledge of Little Vermilion Lake system. We will provide you with the knowledge every day at our tackle shop in the lodge. We are available twice every day to give advise based on over 2.5 decades of knowledge, developed by following the seasonal movements and fish patterns of Little Vermilion Lake.