Vermilion River Fishing Guides
A Wabash-basin smallmouth river at Danville fed by the Middle Fork, the only National Scenic River in Illinois.
Guides on the Vermilion River
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About the Vermilion River
There are two Vermilion Rivers in Illinois and they are easy to confuse. This is the eastern one, in the Wabash basin, which forms at Danville where the Salt Fork, the Middle Fork and the North Fork come together and then runs east into Indiana to meet the Wabash. Its best-known tributary, the Middle Fork, is the only federally designated National Scenic River in Illinois, and that designation says something true about the whole system: this is unusually clean, unusually varied water for the eastern part of the state, cut into a wooded valley with bluffs, gravel bars and genuine riffles rather than the ditched channels that characterize much of the surrounding farmland.
Smallmouth bass are the headline fish and the reason most guided and float trips happen here. They hold against the rock ledges and the woody structure on the bends, and the river fishes well by canoe through the spring and early summer and by wading once flows drop. Channel catfish are abundant throughout, flatheads use the deep holes below the forks and grow large, and the sunfish population is more diverse than most Illinois rivers, with longear and rock bass alongside the usual bluegill. Largemouth and crappie occupy the slower backwaters. The valley itself is part of the draw, with Kickapoo State Recreation Area providing developed access to a long stretch of it.
This gauge carries a water temperature sensor along with discharge and stage, which is less common than it should be on Illinois rivers and genuinely useful here. Smallmouth activity on this water tracks temperature closely through the spring and again in the fall. Watch discharge for floatability, since the river rises and muddies quickly after storms, and watch temperature for when the fish will actually eat.
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Access
Kickapoo State Recreation Area - the main developed access with several canoe launches.
Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area - access to the scenic-river tributary above the forks.
Ellsworth Park, Danville - city park bank access near the confluence.
Kennekuk Cove County Park - access to the lower Middle Fork and adjacent water.
Higginsville Road bridge - a gravel put-in used by float trips on the Salt Fork.
Danville Riverfront - walk-in shoreline access through town.
State Line Road access - the lowest Illinois access before the river crosses into Indiana.
Seasons
Spring: high and off-color early, then the best float conditions of the year as levels drop through May.
Summer: clear low water, wading the riffles for smallmouth and longear, with catfish after dark.
Fall: smallmouth feed heavily and hold in the deeper ledges, and the valley is at its best.
Winter: little activity beyond occasional catfish from the deep holes at Kickapoo.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Vermilion River?
As of Sep 17, 5:15 am, the USGS gauge VERMILION RIVER NEAR DANVILLE, IL reads 382 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Vermilion River?
Anglers target Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Longnose Gar, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Crappie on the Vermilion River in Illinois.
Where can you access the Vermilion River?
Kickapoo State Recreation Area - the main developed access with several canoe launches. Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area - access to the scenic-river tributary above the forks. Ellsworth Park, Danville - city park bank access near the confluence. Kennekuk Cove County Park - access to the lower Middle Fork and adjacent water. Higginsville Road bridge - a gravel put-in used by float trips on the Salt Fork. Danville Riverfront - walk-in shoreline access through town. State Line Road access - the lowest Illinois access before the river crosses into Indiana.
When is the best time to fish the Vermilion River?
Spring: high and off-color early, then the best float conditions of the year as levels drop through May. Summer: clear low water, wading the riffles for smallmouth and longear, with catfish after dark. Fall: smallmouth feed heavily and hold in the deeper ledges, and the valley is at its best. Winter: little activity beyond occasional catfish from the deep holes at Kickapoo.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Vermilion River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Illinois agency site: https://www.ifishillinois.org/site-documents/FishingDigest.pdf