Week #8: June 29-July 6, 2026
Week #8 6/29-7/6
Water temps: 67-70
The Mayflies are here. Sorry to report the bad news but it’s that time of year!! Even with the hatches going on the east side, the bite hasn’t taken as big of a dip as it usually seems to! The hatches seem smaller than the last few years and I think that’s giving us some short bite windows to capitalize on some hungry eyes!
The main areas we focused on this week was 15-25’ on reefs and humps. Sand and gravel mixed with isolated bigger rocks was holding a ton of fish! Getting them to go, different story some times.
We had two really good bites this week and it transitioned from one bite to the other towards the end of the week. The first bite was a jig and crawler. Casting 1/8 ounce jigs and 1/2 a crawler was producing a lot of bites. Getting them in the boat was a challenge as it didn’t seem like they wanted to eat it completely but if you could land them, you could have some really good days! Maintaining bottom contact was key, any more than 6” off bottom for us and we were not getting bit.
The second bite we transitioned to was the typical July Lindy rig bite. Dragging a Lindy with a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce weight and 1/2 a crawler produced a bunch of fish at the end of the week! Dragging them in the sand and gravel from .3-.6 mph just off the main structure helped us stay snag free and boat a bunch of quality fish!
The main keys for walleye this week were moving and moving a lot and trying different techniques and not being afraid to completely change tactics. Find fish that will bite and don’t waste time on schools that won’t bite. Obviously right? It’s very easy to get caught up in the all the marks down there and before you know it, it’s been 47 minutes and you have caught 1 and no other bites. I’ve said it the last week or two, but don’t be afraid to change techniques. This time of year you have to be willing to throw everything you’ve got at them to try to get bites. They are super full of minnows, crayfish, and bugs so getting them to eat a bait can be difficult. Capitalizing on the low light hours was a big key as well.
The smallmouth fishing has been on fire this week! They are shallow and on primary structure. Docks, big boulders, and any other structure in the water probably has a fish on it! Ned rigs, senkos, and top water are all getting bit! Pound for pound, you can’t beat a Lake Vermilion smallmouth.
Muskies are being found in open water as well are deep Main Lake structure. A lot of big fish have been chasing the walleyes around.
Summer is rolling right along and some of the best fishing of the season is right around the corner!! Late July and all of August can be the best action of the entire season!
Remaining July availability:
15 AM
16
23 AM
24 AM
26
28 AM
29 PM
30 PM
31 AM
I will be positing August availability in the next 2 weeks! It’s about 50% full right now so if you’re thinking about a trip don’t hesitate to reach out! Walleyes, smallmouth, or muskies! We are Lake Vermilion’s premier guide service and we will get you on the fish!
***UPDATE: starting today, 7/6/2026, all trips will require a $100 nonrefundable deposit to hold your date.
Call or text anytime (218) 404-9200 or book directly online at fishingwithz.com!
As always, tight lines!
Z
