Lake Access Getting Tougher

[fishmaster176]

Yesterday, I had a rare day off so we decided to hit the water. We started out late so Malletts Bay was out of the question. First choice was the Van Everest launch in Milton. Not a good choice. I watched a guy struggle with a small aluminum boat so we headed for Hathaway Point. Launching from there was fine. I don't remember seeing the water levels so low. Can't be good for the fish. St. Albans Bay was "pea soup" all the way out to Burtons Island. We need rain and lots of it. Looks promising for this week. Oh yeah, the fishing. Let's just say that no pics were taken. Happy Labor Day.

[raz]

Happy Labor Day Fred.
What a difference a year makes...

[fishhuntadventure]

True.

I am used to 4-foot-plus at Converse, but I dragged skeg a few feet off the dock in my little boat. I am supposing that bigger boats have to be careful.

[Reel Delight (Walt)]

I can't launch my 19 ft. Arima from Port Henry and gave up trying to launch there more than 3 weeks ago. I launched last week at Westport and had less than 2 feet of water at the end of the docks and at bottom of the ramp. I had to ease the boat out into the bay because on either side of the channel directly in front of the ramp was high & dry. It was just mud bottom on both sides of my boat.

We need the rain!

[fishingmachine]

gotta buy a smaller boat!!!

[fishmaster176]

We need a lot of snow this winter or next summer will be worse. Mother Nature is one fickle.......

[karl]

We need a lot of snow this winter or next summer will be worse. Mother Nature is one fickle.......

Be damn careful what you wish for, and fish for...

We don't need another "300-year flood"...if you're not a Champlain landowner, the floods obviously means nothing, except for a minor inconvenience to your boat launching.

[Lake Docks]

I agree with Karl! Between the hurricane wasn't it just last year that we had the huge spring flood, extremely dry summer, and then devastating hurricane? Then this year the water was so low in the spring most folks could put their docks in without getting their feet wet!

[fishmaster176]

Sorry karl, I won't take the bait. This is a great site because a person can discuss issues without the insults and innuendos that commonly occur elsewhere. You'll have to argue with someone else about the "obvious" things.

[Digitroll Fishing]

Great to see the lake coming by inches in the past month. That is a big improvement of +.71 feet.

Latest: USGS GAGE AT BURLINGTON VT 94.71 FEET 58 DEGREES

[raz]

We are nearing "normal" level for this time of year. It typically rises from here on out, I hope that trend continues.

[Reelax]

How are the conditions launching out of Converse??? How much water @ dock?

[Digitroll Fishing]

Improving for the shootout: USGS GAGE AT BURLINGTON VT 95.29 FEET

[Yooper]

I am usually not a "whiner", but - when I got stuck with my boat(w/ my grandson) at the Charlotte,VT launch, I realized the "Public Safety" aspect of boat launches.

I now go the extra distance to the "properly designed" New York boat launches.

I have inspected several other VT launches on Lake Champlain. To even a Novice, they are not "well designed nor managed".

THe only launches I can use in VT are private marinas. I sense this must be an OBVIOUS issue in VT.

I am a newbee, but What am I Missing?

[Reel Delight (Walt)]

The NY launches may be nice or maybe better than some of the VT launches because they are maybe paved better but I think that NY state DEC could do much better. They certainly could put the docks in much sooner in the spring after ice out and they could leave them in much later in the fall. They could also do a better job in maintaining them than they do. Let's face it, NY state usually builds the lanch ramps with federal dollars along with fees paid by us sportsman. Then they are committed to maintain them with the license fees that us sportsmen pay; but the politicians rather take most of our license fees and put them into the general fund where the money is used elswhere and not where it was intended.

On the other hand the VT launches may not be as nice; but I think Vermont does more for the sportsmen with the dollars that are collected from license fees.