Popular ice fishing species and
recommended fishing areas include:
LANDLOCKED SALMON
Northern Lake Champlain, notably Malletts, Keeler, and St.
Albans bays; Lake Memphremagog; and Seymour Lake.
LAKE TROUT
Lakes Champlain, Seymour, Caspian, Willoughby, Echo,
Crystal, Harveys, and Great and Little Averill.
WALLEYE
Northern and southern Lake Champlain, notably Whites Bay in
Orwell and the northern Inland Sea off Swanton, Alburg, and
North Hero; Lake Carmi; and Salem Lake.
NORTHERN PIKE
Northern Lake Champlain, including Willow, Keeler, Carry,
Dillenbeck, Kelly, and Missisquoi bays; Norton Pond;
Fairfield Pond; Colchester Pond; Shelburne Pond; Lake
Bomoseen; and Lake Hortonia
SMELT
Lake Champlain, especially off the east shore of South Hero,
off Basin Harbor in Ferrisburg, Shelburne Bay; Lake
Memphremagog; and Seymour Lake.
YELLOW PERCH
Lake Champlain; Lake Carmi; Lake Memphremagog; Lake Morey;
and Harriman Reservoir.
FISH RECORDS SHOWCASE VERMONT'S HIGH QUALITY
FISHING
WATERBURY, VT - We are reminded of Vermont's great fishing
opportunities at this time every year when the Vermont Fish
& Wildlife Department releases its list of annual record
fish caught the previous season.
Below is the list of Vermont annual record fish for 2004,
the anglers who caught them, and the body of water where the
fish was caught:
Brook Trout -- 4.31 lbs., Joshua Zsido, Rutland, VT, Neshobe
River;
Lake Trout -- 32 lbs., Irvin Sayman, Sr.,
Barre, VT, Caspian Lake;
Rainbow Trout -- 12.77 lbs., Chris
Perkins, Putney, VT, Waloomsack River
Largemouth Bass -- 7.57 lbs., George
Goodwin, Castleton, VT, Lake Bomoseen;
Smallmouth Bass -- 4.2 lbs., James
Champion, Milton, VT, Lake Champlain;
Black Crappie -- 2.3 lbs., William
Behuniak, W. Brookfield, VT, Lake Champlain;
Smelt -- 0.14 lbs., John Joly, Holland,
VT, Lake Memphremagog;
Chain Pickerel -- 4.67 lbs., Jason
Roberts, Rutland, VT, Lake Champlain;
Northern Pike -- 26.79 lbs., Michael Ryan,
Morrisville, VT, Norton Pond.
The
Battenkill River, an all-year fishery, originates just north
of here in East Dorset, Vermont and flows for about 50 miles
south through Vermont and then bears west into New York
State, offering anglers a wonderful place for fishing, with
beautiful scenery, wild fish, and good hatches.
Cold
underground springs help provide cool water throughout the
summer months. It has not been stocked since 1971, allowing
wild browns to proliferate along with beautiful brook trout,
some reaching 12 or more inches long. Cool water year round
and scenic mountains, together with challenging wild browns
and brook trout make this a popular spot.
Hatches
are prolific due to the cold water throughout the year, and
insects are able to survive the hot summers here, unlike
many freestone rivers. Hendricksons, Blue Quills, and Red
Quills can be found early in the year. As the year wears on,
many other types of Mayflies will keep you busy. You'll also
find many Stoneflies and Caddis hatching from April to July.
By August, terrestrial fishing can prove to be very good
The ice fishing season on Lake Champlain and many inland
lakes that do not hold trout and salmon begins with the
onset of safe ice, usually in late December or early
January. Many larger lakes have a special ice fishing season
for trout, salmon and other species that opens on the third
Saturday in January and closes the second Sunday in March.
From your
basic moose sighting to a glorious sunset over the Green
Mountains, some things about Vermont can best be experienced
in Winter. Cross country ski and snowmobile trails provide
paths into parts of the Vermont woods you can't easily get
to at other times. |
