Shadow Lake Fishing near Hardwick, Vermont

• Overview

  In Vermont, Shadow Lake falls inside Orleans County. It lies 1,394 feet above sea level. Roughly 216 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 2.4 miles of margin, front to back. Few waters listed in Orleans County are bigger. Supplies mean a trip to Hardwick, 13 miles off. Lyndonville is 14 miles and Lyndon 15 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Shadow Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Open biodiversity records for Orleans County list white sucker, pumpkinseed, brook trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Shadow Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 66°F; the cold one sits at 13°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing Shadow Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Daniels Pond is 1.9 miles off. Check the position at Shadow Lake before loading the car.