Lake Champlain United - Forums

All,

Really glad to find this forum. I've had a hard time finding good info about Champlain on the web. I'm moving to Colchester Vermont this summer and I'm dragging along my Parker 2120 Sport Cabin ("Fiasco"). I was very fortunate to find a super nice guy on Malletts Bay who has waterfront property in the Bay, and he told me that if I dropped and maintained a mooring, and paid him a few hundred a year, I could use his dock for dingy access and moor there. So that's just sweet.

I'm moving from the Pacific Northwest (Portland, OR) where I had my boat on the Columbia River (hence the Pacific Salmon in my profile). I spent some time when I was growing up running a little whaler 13 sport in Shelburne bay, but it's been over 20 years since I've spent any time on Champlain.

So questions, it looks like mostly bass, salmon, perch, trout? Can anyone give me some insight into fishing the lake? Good resources? Etc?

boating: Do most people have/use VHF/EPIRB's/PLBs on the lake? Is it necessary? I'm used to heading down the Columbia and out the pacific where these are absolute requirements, but it seems like a VHF and a cell phone will cover most of the lake? Does most of the lake actually have cell coverage?

I haven't been able to find any tow services on the lake like TowBoatUS, or Sea Tow? Does anyone have any insight here?

any other advice as I move into the area? Thanks, and thanks for the resources.

N

Welcome Newt!!!! I am not your best source for Lake Champlain , but I can tell you this you are at the rite source here on this forum!!! The members are more than kind to share there very vast knowledge of this great lake!!! As far as what kind of fishing to expect I would say it dosnt get much better for a huge variety of fish than on Champlain, Salmon,Steelhead, Browntrout, ,Laketrout,Largmouth, Smallmouth.,Walleye,Northernpike,Perch,Crappie,Etc.I am sure other members will be chiming in to help you!!! Good luck!!! Sleeps

Welcome as far as fishing just outside of Mallets bay you have some of the best Lake Trout and Salmon fishing in the lake ,Mallets bay is excellent for Small and Large Mouth Bass and excellent Panfishing theres really not much that you cant catch in the bay good luck and i think you will enjoy the fishing

Welcome aboard... Keep reading the fishing reports here for pointers and info on general locations... We typically use Ch68 on VHF on the water.. VHF/EPIRB's/PLBs on the lake? Is NOT necessary. Cell phone coverage is typically prettyt good across the whole lake and is a MUST.. Good idea to put the coast guard numbers (emergency and non) in it for speed dial.

Most of us here are cold water trollers, steelhead, Land Locked atlantic salmon, brown trout and settle for lake trout if the others aren't biting...

Lake trout are usually on bottom by this time of year in 60-90fow (maybe some still in the shallows in front of the Winooski) and the other fish are somewhere between top and bottom chasing bait.

Best of luck!