Fishing Lake Hortonia in Rutland County, Vermont

• Overview

  You will find Lake Hortonia in Rutland County, Vermont. Around the bank it is pine and birch. At 501 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The outline measures near 7.3 miles, so local knowledge counts. Size puts it in the front rank of our Rutland County list. The town to know is Brandon, 6.8 miles out. Leicester lies 9.4 miles off, Castleton another 9.8 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Hortonia

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Fish documented in Rutland County include bluegill, brook trout, brown trout and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Lake Hortonia decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 70°F and January near 18°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Lake Hortonia fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. There is a car park, Lake Hortonia Boat Ramp Parking, half a mile from the bank. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Echo Lake, 1.3 miles away. What applies at Lake Hortonia may have changed since it was mapped.