Early April is a period of transition across northern New England. Ol’ Man Winter struggles to hold on to the frozen landscape as spring fights to stake its claim, and for trout enthusiasts the annual tug of war can be a frustrating time. By the middle of the month, give or take a few days, things start to turn around. The black ice covering our lakes and ponds turns to open water sometimes overnight and just like that the open-water fishing season is suddenly underway.

Photo by Ron Sinfelt

During the early weeks of the season, most fishermen head for the bigger lakes and ponds primarily because rivers, streams and brooks are still too high, cold or discolored to offer prime opportunity, and because our lakes and ponds, or parts of them, are among the first to clear of winter ice.

These areas are also popular because they are not only home to some of our largest trout in terms of length and weight, but in many cases, a variety of trout. On northern New England’s most popular trout lakes, just about anything could be on the end of the line.

Regional biologists in recent years have done an impressive job of providing a variety of fish. Mixed bags of rainbow, brown, lake trout and in some cases, brook trout, are a daily possibility.

All in all, April can be an exciting and productive time to hunt for trout across the rooftop of New England. The weather conditions may be less than ideal from a human perspective, but the trout are out there, and after a long winter, are often ready to cooperate.

VERMONT

Lake Champlain

Vermont hatcheries are raising about one million fry, fingerlings, yearlings and 2-year-old trout these days, and last year the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife released over 600,000 catchable trout or smolts throughout the state. One of the biggest recipients was Lake Champlain, which continues to be one of Vermont’s great trout hotspots.

Last year in March and April, approximately 30,000 brown trout yearlings were released in the big lake at such places as Burlington and Burlington Harbor, Grand Isle, North and South Hero, St. Albans, Milton and Ferrisburg. In addition, more than 65,000 steelhead rainbows were released in April at Grand Isle, Colchester and the Colchester Access Area, near the Long Point access and Ferrisburg near the Greenbush Road Bridge. Several thousand lake trout were also released later in the year.

All this adds up to one of the finest coldwater fisheries in northern New England, not only in terms of variety, but also in terms of potential size. By most accounts, lake trout are averaging 3 to 5 pounds these days, and 8- and 10-pounders are not uncommon. Brown trout can run the same size, with rainbow steeAlhead slightly less. Several lakes in the tri-state area might offer the same mixed bag, but few can boast trout of such size.

To say the least, this is a huge body of water, at some 435 square miles. The key to success on this lake is knowing where to find fish. This is particularly true on Lake Champlain, because as most charter skippers and folks who really know the lake will attest, the best hotspots always seem to be changing. There are, however, some traditional spots that are good places to start the hunt.

Lake trout, for example, are popular springtime targets, with some of the season’s best action coming later this month through May and well into June. Traditionally, from ice-out (anytime from mid- to late April or so), lakers are found close to the surface and are even taken from shore in some locations.

Although fish can be found anywhere, the best opportunities are generally in the deep portions of the lake, from Crown Point north to La Motte including the areas around Appletree Point, Cochester Reef, all the way down the western shore of Shelburne Point, as far as Thompson’s Point. Some big lakers are also taken each spring north of the Crown Point Bridge up through Button Bay, especially along the ice pack.