Your Best Spring Fishing in Vermont

The Green Mountain State is the last of New England's North Country trio that is highly susceptible to lingering cold, snow and ice at the end of winter, but by mid-April adventurous anglers can find enough open water to legally drop their favorite species a line. It's likely that the northern portion of the state will be snowbound till late April, but southern portions of the state should be ice-free by then. Here are your top options for spring fishing in Vermont.

March

Lake Seymour

With plenty of ice still left on Vermont's northern lakes, there's time to take advantage of Lake Seymour's population of big lake trout. Most fish are taken just off the bottom using live suckers, cut bait or large jigging lures. Patience is the rule because lake trout are slow-moving, cautious and tentative. Specimens weighing 10 or 15 pounds can take a bait and swallow it without tripping the flag! Always assume there's a fish on; take up the slack line till you feel resistance and then give a mighty yank — and don't be surprised to find that you have a fish on!

April

Green Mountain National Forest

By mid-April most of southern Vermont's best trout streams will be running free and clear, which means trout anglers will be in their glory. Head for the wild trout streams in the Green Mountain National Forest using Manchester Center as a base of operations. Ride the forest roads and trails looking for small streams at bridge and culvert crossings and fish the pools upstream and down using garden worms, nymphs or small wet flies. These clear-water pools can be difficult to fish, but careful anglers should have no problem presenting a bait to fish holding in the deepest, darkest water.

May

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Lake Champlain

By May most of the water of the state will be clear of ice and snow, which means Lake Champlain's 600-mile shoreline, bays and islands will provide plenty of action for land-based anglers and boaters. The target of choice in spring includes trout and salmon, both species providing plenty of exciting action for trollers using minnow-imitating lures, plugs and streamers. Champlain's trout and salmon are especially active in early spring, so plan to be on the water throughout the day.

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