Lake Madeleine Fishing near Manchester Center, Vermont

• Overview

  Lake Madeleine is a Bennington County water, in Vermont. What surrounds it is mixed forest. At about 27 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. It is high ground by Vermont standards. The closest town, Manchester Center, is 4.4 miles distant. Arlington lies 6.1 miles off, Pawlet another 13 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Madeleine

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Species logged across Bennington County include brook trout, brown trout, white sucker, brown bullhead and longnose sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Lake Madeleine fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 18°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about early April and return around early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Lake Madeleine.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Hopper Pond at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat Lake Madeleine as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.