From personal experience, I've found this river to be either hot or cold. Most of the times, it takes a while to clear up. By the time it does, you have a small window to fish prime conditions before the water levels drop to much and it goes crystal clear. The gradient is very good for a river this size so water levels aren't the issue. The amount of farm land upstream is the culprit. For this reason, many steelheaders are intimitated and will not fish the Vermilion. BIG MISTAKE!