Lake Champlain Fishing in Chittenden County, Vermont

• Overview

  Lake Champlain is listed under Chittenden County, Vermont. Height above sea level is 92 feet. This is big water, about 433.0 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The form is ragged, which puts a lot of structure within casting range. By surface area it heads our Chittenden County listings. Burlington at 8.3 miles is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Ville-Marie is 65 miles off. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Lake Champlain

  Depth records show about 400 feet at the bottom of the basin. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Chittenden County: white sucker, pumpkinseed and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Lake Champlain the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 20°F and July at about 70°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan around that when you fish Lake Champlain.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Halfmoon Cove at 4 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Lake Champlain should be assumed from this page alone.