Fishing at Chapels Pond, Washington County, Vermont

• Overview

  Chapels Pond falls in Washington County, part of Vermont. Elevation runs to 1,171 feet. It covers about 2 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Washington County are larger. Montpelier is the closest place, 4.7 miles off. The big place round here is Sherbrooke, 81 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Chapels Pond

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Washington County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout, white sucker, brown trout and pumpkinseed. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Chapels Pond for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 15°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. At Chapels Pond the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Nelson Pond, 0.4 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Chapels Pond for certain.