Fishing The Lakes & Streams of Vermont
Including Lake Champlain - "The Sixth Great Lake"

Vermont Bait & Tackle Shops   Fishing Guides & Charter Boats
Calendar - Fishing Seasons

Vermont is paradise for the freshwater fisherman - whether it be fly fishing our streams and rivers, or going deep in our lakes for larger varieties of fish. Lake Champlain, Lake Willoughby, Lake Bomoseen and Lake Seymour are but a few examples. What they have to offer is no small pickins'!  

This page offers you just about everything you want to know about fishing in Vermont - from what flies are recommended to use and when - to depth charts of our lakes & ponds. You can even purchase your Vermont State Fishing License Online right here!  

In short, whether you're a loner looking for an wilderness trout stream, or a family looking to do some fun fishing, Vermont has what you're looking for... including Charter Fishing Boats, Fishing Guides, whatever... Some even GUARANTEE a catch!

You can also fish in our Green Mountain National Forest. If in the area of one of the GMNF Ranger District Offices [Below], stop by and pick up free maps and answers to any of your questions. 

Scroll Down or Check out Species of Fish Found In Vermont, Recommend Books, and Related Links.

Species:

Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalus	Coldwater species Average length: 6-12" Vermont's only native stream-dwelling trout. Actually a char, they have worm-like marking against a greenish back, and their flanks are covered with light yellowish spots, with small bright red spots surrounded by blue halos along the literal mid-section. They have squarish tails, hence the nickname "Squaretails".
Brown Trout Salmo trutta	Coldwater species Average length: 8-18" A true trout that were first brought to Vermont from their native Europe in 1892. They have a light brown overall color, especially in streams, with dark spots intermixed with reddish-orange spots along their flanks, with each spot surrounded by a light halo.
Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush	Coldwater species Average length: 15-20" A native to many of Vermont's deep, cold lakes and like brook trout, are actually a char. They have a forked tail, white leading edges on their lower fins, and irregular light spots against a back-ground color that ranges from light olive green to gray.
Landlocked Salmon Salmo Salar	Coldwater species Average length: 12-20" Identical to sea-going Atlantic salmon. They have a forked tail, silvery flanks, and black spots on the upper half of their body. Unlike lake-dwelling brown trout, which they can closely resemble, salmon have no spots on their adipose and tail fins.
Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax	Coldwater species Average length: 7-8" A small, slender schooling fish found in Vermont's deeper and colder lakes. They have a strongly forked tail and iridescent silver flanks. They are a favorite forage fish of trout and salmon, and are popular with ice fishermen.
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss	Coldwater species Average length: 7-8" A true native to the American West that were introduced in Vermont in the 1800s. Their tail and flanks are heavily spotted with small, well-defined black spots, and their flank usually has a pink or reddish stripe, for which they are named. Migratory lake-run rainbow trout are silverfish in color and are called steelhead.
Brown Bullhead Ameirus nebulosus	Warmwater Species Average length: 10-14" The "horned pout" are the most common member of the catfish family in Vermont. They have smooth, olive-brown to dark-brown flanks with a sharp, stout spine on the leading edge of their dorsal and pectoral fins. They have a broad, flat mouth surrounded by six whisker-like barbels.
Chain Pickerel Esox Niger	Warmwater Species Average length: 15-20" A member of the same family that includes northern pike. Unlike pike, pickerel have fully scaled gill covers, and their tail, dorsal and anal fins have no conspicuous spots or blotches. Their flanks are a light, golden green, with dark, chain-like markings.
Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides	Warmwater Species Average length: 8-15" The largest member of the sunfish family in Vermont. They have a large, round mouth when open, and when their mouth is closed their upper jaw extends well past their eye. Their flanks are light green to golden-green, with a pronounced horizontal bar.
Northern Pike Esox lucius	Warmwater Species Average length: 15-20" A long, slender fish that has a large mouth, and dorsal and anal fins placed far to the rear. They have greenish gray flanks with several rows of irregular, yellowish-white bean shaped spots. Pike have scales only on the upper half of their gill covers and their tail, dorsal and anal fins have dark spots or blotches.
Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus	Warmwater Species Average length: 7-9" A small, brightly colored sunfish that is representative of a group of fish called "panfish," which in Vermont includes bluegill, redbreast sunfish, rock bass and black crappie. Panfish rarely exceed 10 inches, but they are excellent eating, abundant and fun to catch for anglers of all ages.
Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieui	Warmwater Species Average length: 8-15" Closely related to largemouth bass, except they prefer cooler, clearer waters and when their mouth is closed their upper jaw extends only to just below their eye. Their flanks are golden green to brownish bronze, with 8 to 15 dark, thin vertical bars.
Yellow Perch Perca flavescens	Warmwater Species Average length: 4-10" One of Vermont's favorite food fishes and common to waters throughout the state. A schooling fish, yellow perch have golden-yellow flanks with 6 to 8 dark vertical bars. In the late winter and early spring, spawning males develop bright orange lower fins.
Walleye Stizostedion vitreum	Warmwater Species Average length: 13-21" The largest member of the perch family that includes yellow perch and sauger. They have a large, silvery eye, a milky belly and flanks that range from olive brown to golden-yellow. Walleye can be differentiated from sauger, which they closely resemble, by their first dorsal fin, which is dusky colored and spotless.

* Images and Descriptions of Species courtesy of Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife.

Books On Fishing In Vermont:  

 Flyfisher's Guide to Northern New England LinkVermont.com Recommended
 Fly Fishing for Dummies
 Fishing Vermont's Streams & Lakes
 Bass Fisherman's Bible

Related Links:

Fishing In The Green Mountain National Forest
Lake Champlain Hotspot Fishing Maps
Guide to Fishing Lake Champlain and its Tributaries
Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife Rules & Regulations, Stocking Schedule, Record Fish Catches, Fish Hatcheries [Open To The Public], etc.
Depth Charts of Vermont Lakes & Ponds
Vermont Trout Streams & Ponds

Green Mountain National Forest District Offices: