I have only been tracking this the last few years. It was a tale of two cities.. Feb-July and August to end of year.
73 trips logged. 327 hours fished. 268 landed 150 lost. 3 days we had 40/20/20. After August 1st to end of year 15 trips with 9 landed 6 lost for 88 hours.
Between Ontario's 17 days fished and Champlains 73 days over 500 fish landed. It was a great year! Also 10 days in Alaska first week of August.
Adding up those travel days between Alaska and Ontario and fishing days it's over a month this past year away from fishing Champlain.
2023 was a great year as well!
Lake Champlain Legal Salmon 2024
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Digitroll Fishing
- Posts: 4071
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:58 pm
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Reelax
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6242
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:27 pm
- Species: Salmon, steelhead, brown trout
- Location: Fletcher, Vt
Re: Lake Champlain Legal Salmon 2024
Yes I agree we should increase min size salmon to 18”.OOPs..
Wrong thread. I came here when I saw title.
Matt B
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Digitroll Fishing
- Posts: 4071
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:58 pm
Re: Lake Champlain Legal Salmon 2024
It would be nice to see 18" or even 20" minimum.! Save a lot of zero-1 year plus age fish that would be returned.
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Speedy
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2022 9:45 pm
- Species: Trout/Salmon
- Location: Newport,VT
Re: Lake Champlain Legal Salmon 2024
That's OK Matt, I have a remark/report that fits. Coming from my experience as a N.J. Deputy Game Warden I had history with catching Creek Chubs/Shinners while fishing in rapids for Rainbows. They would hit natural salmon egg (Mike's bait co.) before the rainbows had a chance most of the time. Catch 8 Chubs to every Rainbow. Fish & Game tried several methods to reduce them but had better luck on killing of all mosquitos. LOL
So as a "New-Bie" Salmon fisherman in Newport, I was excited to catch some of the "Famous" Clyde River Salmon. Yes I read the story and watched the videos. I went early Sept., early Oct. and last day Oct 31st. in the 2 mile famous section of the Clyde from the mouth of Lake Memphremagog to old power dam 1,2,3 with fish ladder, using a barb-less hook and plastic Salmon egg. Each trip I caught several and was shocked with the skinny short silvers. Waiting for the Momma fish to come in late or ? They were all 11"-12" and very thin. First couple I thought I was back to catching New Jersey Chubs again. Several fly-fisherman were getting the same skinny short salmons. All were released unharmed and told to go back home and grow up. So on Oct 31. I decided to exercise my small 16ft Aluma Craft out of the lake before winterizing it. I dropped the same barbless line out the back few hundred yards out and used a common garden worm I pulled up that day while pulling a few weeds at my house. So I am sorry to report that: #1. Salmon and All fish eat worms, #2. The Land-Locked Salmon that are or were stocked last few years are Salbego breed and NOT Atlantic. These babies will take 3 more years or never reach the legal 17" minimum length. These over-used eggs at the hatchery are played-out and VT Game & Fish should re-start a new program using roe from real Atlantic Salmon. Lake Champlain has the exception rule of 15" Salmon and 15" Lakers rest of state is 17" Salmon and 18" Lakers. I'll probably catch hell now but. Yes I would love to see the smallest Salmon at 20" in VT. Frost bit in Newport- Speedy
So as a "New-Bie" Salmon fisherman in Newport, I was excited to catch some of the "Famous" Clyde River Salmon. Yes I read the story and watched the videos. I went early Sept., early Oct. and last day Oct 31st. in the 2 mile famous section of the Clyde from the mouth of Lake Memphremagog to old power dam 1,2,3 with fish ladder, using a barb-less hook and plastic Salmon egg. Each trip I caught several and was shocked with the skinny short silvers. Waiting for the Momma fish to come in late or ? They were all 11"-12" and very thin. First couple I thought I was back to catching New Jersey Chubs again. Several fly-fisherman were getting the same skinny short salmons. All were released unharmed and told to go back home and grow up. So on Oct 31. I decided to exercise my small 16ft Aluma Craft out of the lake before winterizing it. I dropped the same barbless line out the back few hundred yards out and used a common garden worm I pulled up that day while pulling a few weeds at my house. So I am sorry to report that: #1. Salmon and All fish eat worms, #2. The Land-Locked Salmon that are or were stocked last few years are Salbego breed and NOT Atlantic. These babies will take 3 more years or never reach the legal 17" minimum length. These over-used eggs at the hatchery are played-out and VT Game & Fish should re-start a new program using roe from real Atlantic Salmon. Lake Champlain has the exception rule of 15" Salmon and 15" Lakers rest of state is 17" Salmon and 18" Lakers. I'll probably catch hell now but. Yes I would love to see the smallest Salmon at 20" in VT. Frost bit in Newport- Speedy
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Digitroll Fishing
- Posts: 4071
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:58 pm
Re: Lake Champlain Legal Salmon 2024
We had 8 total fish 20" or over this year. Two browns close to 7 lbs and one salmon 6 lbs 4 oz. were the three notable fish. 326 hours of effort. Thats why we fished Ontario 17 days this year! One 19" salmon in the Shootout. We have spent a great deal of time fishing the Inland Sea the last 3 years. No lakers and fleas. Although the fleas started showing up last Summer. Looking forward to Ontario this year!