Fishing

120 miles long + 600 miles of shoreline + 70 islands = One amazing lake.

You might not hook "Champ," but you will still find spectacular fishing in the depths of Lake Champlain. The lake is one of the premier bass fishing destinations in the Northeast — if not the entire country. Lake Champlain has hosted professional bass fishing tournaments, such as the Walmart FLW Tour, for more than a decade. The lake is so renowned that it has been named one of "America's 25 Hottest Fishing Spots" by Field & Stream.

Attracting avid anglers from winter's ice fishing season to summer's peak Lake Champlain boating season, Lake Champlain is a year-round fishing hot spot. But, in many ways, spring is the most exciting time to fish in the region. As trout and salmon stockings boost the populations, fishermen are able to dust off their reels, tie their flies and cast their lines in the hopes of catching the biggest and best. Ten boat launches on the New York side of the lake provide a variety of places to start your expedition.

Fishermen will find more than 80 fish species, including:

• black bass
• bowfin
• brown trout
• bullheads
• catfish
• lake trout
• landlocked Atlantic salmon
• largemouth bass
• muskellunge
• northern pike
• pickerel
• rainbow trout
• rock bass
• smallmouth bass
• smelt
• steelheads
• sunfish
• walleye
• yellow perch

Lake Champlain has both cold water and warm water species. Plus, natural fish populations are enhanced by an annual stocking of more than 50,000 trout and salmon. Most species are fishable under state regulations year round.

During spring, you'll want to try fishing for salmon in one of the lake's tributaries, such as the Saranac River, Ausable River or the Boquet River. The two-mile stretch of the Boquet River that spans from the lake toward the village of Willsboro is especially action-packed during a few weeks of the spring season. Here you'll find landlocked salmon swimming upstream after the ice-out occurs on the lake. 

Plan a fishing trip with one of our Lake Champlain guide services or sign up for one of our annual fishing competitions— book your trip today!