Lake Champlain
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Stocked March to June in 2026, heaviest in March: steelhead, atlantic salmon, and 2 other species, 8 plants in all. A 277,118-acre lake, and the most-stocked water on the Addison County record for 2026. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live, water temperature included.
Addison County · Vermont · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Steelhead
Atlantic salmon
Walleye
Brown trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20 | Atlantic salmon | 5,000 | completed | |
| Mar 24 | Brown trout | 3,500 | completed | |
| Mar 25 | Atlantic salmon | 7,000 | completed | |
| Mar 26 | Steelhead x 2 sections | 6,000 | completed | |
| Mar 31 | Steelhead | 6,000 | completed | |
| May 1 | Walleye | 491,000 | completed | |
| Jun 3 | Walleye | 15,806 | completed |
When to fish Lake Champlain
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:30-11:30 am and 9:52-11:52 pm | 3:45-4:45 am and 4:01-5:01 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:16 am-12:16 pm and 10:40 pm-12:40 am | 4:57-5:57 am and 4:22-5:22 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Jun 3
- Water 54 °F, prime coldwater range
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Vermont fishing forecast
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural. The gauge reads 54 degrees, prime coldwater temperature; fish confidently through the day.
For the salmon and steelhead (steelhead stocked 3 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Medium spinning rod | 8 to 9 ft with 8 to 12 lb line; big water, big runs |
| Spoons and spinners | 1/4 to 1/2 oz metal; cast across and swing through the run |
| Beads and egg imitations | drifted under a float where bait rules allow |
For the walleye (walleye stocked 2 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Jig and minnow | 1/8 to 1/4 oz round jigs tipped live or plastic; drag the bottom slowly |
| Crawler harness | slow-trolled over flats and breaks once water warms |
| Medium spinning rod | 6.5 to 7 ft medium, 8 lb line; sensitivity beats power here |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Lamoille River | 3.3 mi | May 21 |
| Winooski River | 4.5 mi | May 4 |
| Browns River | 15 mi | May 19 |
| Huntington River | 23 mi | May 5 |
| Lewis Creek | 24 mi | May 8 |
Follow Addison County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule