Record Fish Caught in Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain has long been considered a fishing hotspot. But did you know that the lake not only offers great fishing for a large variety of fish, it offers a variety of LARGE fish?

Lake Champlain boasts four New York State record fish and eighteen of the Vermont state record fish! Five other Vermont state record fish were taken from Lake Champlain tributaries. That’s twenty-seven records for the two states from Lake Champlain and its feeders.

2016 saw new records for freshwater drum in both New York and Vermont three months apart, interestingly by a father and daughter (see Two Record Fish).

 

New York State Record Fish Caught in Lake Champlain:

Bowfin                             12 lb. 14 oz.          34″        07/8/2006       Mary Forrest

Freshwater Drum         29 lb. 14 oz.         36.5″      06/4/2016      Amelia Whalen

Longnose Gar                 13 lb. 3 oz.           49.5″      07/25/1999    Kenneth Cassant

Redfin Pickerel                2 lb. 1 oz.            n/a         03/5/1989      Duane Gillespie

 

Vermont State Record Fish Caught in Lake Champlain:

American Eel                   6 lbs 4 oz            42.00″    02/19/1989    Robert Tatro, Jr.

Bass, Rock                        2 lbs 0 oz           13.25″     07/16/1981    Brad French

Bowfin (bow)                 12 lbs 1.5 oz        30.75″     08/07/2015    Louis Phelps IV

Burbot                               8 lbs 13 oz         28.12″     02/11/2012     Bryan LaBelle

Carp                                 33 lbs 0 oz           35.00″     05/27/2006      Jeffery W. Reed

Carp (Bow)                     44 lbs 6.8 oz        41.25″     05/20/2014     Darren Ouellette

Cisco (Lake Herring)      1 lbs 1.44 oz      14.50″     08/17/2015     Montanah Latulippe

Freshwater Drum         25 lbs 8.6 oz        34.50″    09/18/2016      Joseph Whalen

Gar, Longnose               18 lbs 12 oz         54.50″    08/11/2007      Texas A. Aiken

Gar, Longnose (Bow)   17 lbs 13.6 oz      50.50″    08/17/1996      Tom Casavant

Mooneye                           2 lbs 7 oz           17.00″    08/26/1985      Thomas J. LaVigne

Perch, White                    2 lbs 9.3 oz        16.60″    02/17/2014      Anthony Austin

Pike-Pickerel Hybrid      8 lbs 7 oz           32.00″    02/10/2010      Kurin Friend

Salmon, Landlocked    12 lbs 10.4 oz      32.00″   10/18/1994       Brian Latulippe

Sauger                               3 lbs 2.5 oz         20.00″   02/03/1980       David Paya

Smelt, Rainbow              0 lbs 12 oz          13.00″   03/06/1978       Bernadine Maranville

Walleye                          14 lbs 8.8 oz         32.50″   02/10/2010        Richard Levesque

Whitefish, Lake              9 lbs 7 oz            27.00″   02/24/1999        Victor Raymond

 

Also, the Vermont state record Bowfin (angling), Fallfish, Muskelunge, and Redhorse Sucker (both angling and bow) were taken from the Missisquoi River and Otter Creek – both Lake Champlain tributaries.

There’s tremendous opportunity to catch big fish on Lake Champlain, as these state records show. Maybe the next record lunker from Lake Champlain will be yours.

Other Lake Champlain Fishing Articles:

• Vermont Fish & Wildlife Upgrading Fishing Access Areas
• Two fish certified as new Vermont state records
• Reel Fun Fishing Program Expands at Vermont State Parks
• Fishing Clinics – Introduction to Fly Fishing
• Vermont Free Fishing Day 2017