A Note from our President

Hello and welcome to Lake Vermilion.

For thousands of years, this lake was home to the Sioux, Cree, Monsone and, more recently, the Chippewa or Ojibway. Since the 1600’s, it was a waterway and resting spot for the voyageurs.

By the late 1800’s, change was coming quickly. Loggers were cutting lumber to build homes for the Midwest. Iron deposits were discovered first near Tower, and the mining industry began providing ore to build the nation. Settlers moved in with their families to build homes, towns and schools.

Lake Vermilion’s beauty quickly became legend. Fishing camps flourished, later to become family resorts. Summer cabins followed. In 1968, a group of forward thinking resort owners and residents saw the need for an organization to protect and enhance the quality of the lake — and the Vermilion Lake Association was formed. Ten years later, the group numbered over 1500 year-round residents, summer cabin owners and vacationers. We’re now 40 years old, still growing, and continually striving toward our goals.

Education is one of our major commitments. The Vermilion Lake Association, through its quarterly newsletter The Vermilion and this web site, provides information on subjects like boating safety, native wildlife and a few fishing tips. We inform members of the dangers of introducing exotics like Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels, rusty crayfish and a whole host of other nasties. And we provide information about land use practices to prevent pollutants from entering our Lake.

Powered by our volunteers, the Vermilion Lake Association is continually working to protect our lake and enhance the outdoor experience for those who share it. Many of the activities we have underway are described on this website. Please check ’em out.

In the 1940’s, the National Geographic Society declared Lake Vermilion one of the top ten most scenic lakes in the United States. And it still is today. With its 40,557 acres of water, 365 islands and 313 miles of shoreline, it stretches 24 beautiful miles across the heart of Minnesota’s famed Arrowhead Region.

Come join us and help guarantee that our Lake Vermilion will always remain a beautiful lake. Get involved with us in actively preserving Lake Vermilion — the lake of the red sunsets.

Dwight Warkentin, President