LAKE VERMILION— The number of loons counted on Lake Vermilion continued a notable downward trend the past few years, while the number of chicks rebounded. Those were the mixed results from the 2026 Lake Vermilion loon count, conducted on July 13.
Count organizer Laure Maki, with the Vermilion Lake Association, noted that low water levels, which prevented some of the 63 volunteer counters from accessing some shallow parts of the lake, along with a noticeable chop, may have played a role in the lower number of adult loons spotted this year.
Counters tallied a total of 31 loon chicks and 110 adult loons, for a total loon count of 141. That was the lowest total number of loons found during the annual count since 1985, and it continues a trend that has been apparent since 2021, when counters tallied a total of 241 loons on the lake. Based on the results of the annual count, loon numbers have been on a slow decline since roughly 2000, although chick numbers have held roughly steady. That could indicate that the breeding loon population is relatively stable while the number of non-breeding adults that opt to remain on Lake Vermilion during the summer has been trending downward.
Lake Vermilion has traditionally been home to the state’s largest loon population and has held one of the longest-running loon counts anywhere, and has been sponsored by the Vermilion Lake Association, or its predecessor Lake Vermilion Sportmen’s Club, since 1983. Laure Maki and Jill Korpela Bontems were the count coordinators this year.
Across Minnesota, loon counts point to a relatively stable population at around 12,000 birds, by far the largest number of loons in the lower 48 states.
The Minnesota Loon Monitoring Program is a long-term project of the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program. Hundreds of volunteers collect information about common loon numbers on more than 600 lakes. These lakes are distributed among six regions, or index areas.
Loons are good indicators of water quality because they need clean, clear, noncontaminated water to catch food and are sensitive to lakeshore disturbances.
The website for the Minnesota DNR Loon Watcher Survey provides information, as does the loon monitoring program: www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame.