It may seem like winter is never going to end in New England right now, but as warmer weather is right around the corner. Water levels will be high during the spring thaw for the Vermont Fishing Season.  As water levels fall and temperatures rise heading into late spring, many anglers will have a choice in which type of Vermont Fish you are chasing.

Chasing Trout

Trout is one of my favorite fish for eating. Trout streams will become unfishable once water temperatures rise above seventy degrees. If you are catching trout in streams to eat, great! But if you are fishing with catch and release in mind, these temperatures are bad for trout. These higher temperatures dissolve oxygen in the water to a level where hooked trout will build up lactic acid when fighting on the hook. At this point, the trout will be too exhausted to survive if released.

This doesn’t mean you can’t go trout fishing in Vermont during the summer, it means you have to be careful when fishing to pay attention to the temperature.

What I love about fishing in Vermont is the vast amount of public land you can fish from. There are many streams throughout Vermont that are rich with wild and stocked trout. Some of these fish don’t grow as large as fish in larger bodies of water, but they are still fun to catch.

Fishing The Backwoods

There are some advantages in fishing the smaller streams or rivers. These spots often go unnoticed by many anglers and offer some peace and quiet. There are thousands of secret fishing holes throughout the State of Vermont that is abundant with fish.

There is no perfect fishing spot, but you should hop in the car and explore around your area. Many a great fishing hole has been found by accident just from exploring side roads.

Another way to find a good fishing hole is to stop into your local fishing shop or convenience store where they sell bait. Most locals know great fishing spots in their community.

Here are some great fishing holes to try this summer: 

1. Shelburne Bay, Shelburne
2. Baker Pond, Brookfield
3. Lake Champlain, Alburg
4. Lake Champlain, Burton Island
5. Winooski River, Colchester

If you are looking for a great fishing spot this summer, but don’t want to go through all the work in finding one yourself, give us a call. I am a Vermont licensed fishing tour guide and know a lot of great fishing holes where you will catch some great fish! Our motto is “If you don’t catch fish, we don’t get paid!”