This lonely Lake Champlain angler was photographed from Alburgh, Vermont. He was trying to get in one last cast before the end of the 2015 LCI Fishing Derby. At this point there wasn’t another boat in sight.
For more info about the LCI Fishing Derby visit mychamplain.net
Lake sturgeon are protected by legislation in both New York State and Vermont and anglers’ help is needed to protect the endangered species by practicing responsible angling and by reporting catch information.
“Lake sturgeon, which are listed as an endangered species by the State of Vermont, are fully protected and all sturgeon caught by anglers need to be released immediately. Harvesting a lake sturgeon would result in the loss of an angler’s fish and wildlife licenses in Vermont and most other states for up to three years. It would also come with a $2,000 fee, paid as restitution to the state’s fish and wildlife fund, as well as a $722 fine for the offense itself.” ~ Chet MacKenzie, fisheries biologist, Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
Also known as rock sturgeon, reddy sturgeon, or common sturgeon, the lake sturgeon is the region’s largest completely freshwater fish. A mature adult can measure between three and five feet in length and weigh up to 80 pounds, but can occasionally grow as large as 7+ feet and weigh 300 or more pounds. The largest on record in North America weighed over 300 pounds, and the oldest was 154 years old.
The body coloration changes with age. An adult lake sturgeon is a uniform dull grey color while younger sturgeon are brownish grey with clear green on the lower parts of the head and body. They have sharp, cone-shaped mouths with four smooth barbels on the underside. The mouth is wide and there are two smooth lobes on the lower lip.
Lake sturgeon, which in Vermont are only found in Lake Champlain and the lower sections of the Winooski, Lamoille and Missisquoi rivers and Otter Creek, are a unique, ancient form of fish that were first given complete protection by Vermont law in 1967. Lake Champlain has the only lake sturgeon population in New England. New York lake sturgeon have been collected in the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Cayuga Lake, the Seneca and Cayuga canals, and in the Grasse, Oswego, and Oswegatchie rivers, as well as Lake Champlain.
Historically the fish were more common in Lake Champlain, but declined because of over-fishing and loss of spawning habitat caused by dam construction.
Anglers are also encouraged to help with the Lake Champlain sturgeon restoration effort by minimizing injuries to any accidentally caught sturgeon.
“If by chance an angler catches a sturgeon, we ask that they leave the sturgeon in the water as much as possible and remove the hook if the fish is hooked in the mouth, but cut the line and leave the hook in place if the hook is swallowed. If possible, sturgeon should not be removed from the water. Anglers can also help by choosing to change fishing locations or using a different bait in the event that they catch multiple sturgeon in a particular area,” said MacKenzie.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife urges anglers to help population recovery efforts by reporting any sturgeon they catch to the Department at 802-878-1564, or by contacting their local fish and game warden or district office. Information obtained about sturgeon catches can be valuable to the Department’s sampling efforts and to monitoring the trend in sturgeon abundance over time.
Anglers and members of the public are also asked to report illegal sturgeon harvest to law enforcement immediately by calling their local warden, a state police dispatch center or Operation Game Thief at 1-800-752-5378.
To learn more about Vermont’s fisheries programs, fishing regulations or to purchase a fishing license, visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com
A Dinosaur Among Us- The Lake Sturgeon
Vermont State Parks and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department are joining forces to promote fishing opportunities for campers and visitors at Vermont’s state parks with their new ‘Reel Fun’ program.
‘Reel Fun’ encourages park visitors to take advantage of easily accessible, family-friendly fishing opportunities available at most Vermont State Parks.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Vermont Fish & Wildlife to help make fishing more accessible to anglers at Vermont State Parks. There’s a strong history of recreational angling at our state parks and we want to continue to bolster that tradition through the ‘Reel Fun’ program. Whether you want to fish from shore or take out one of our canoes, kayaks or paddleboats, we hope that you will make fishing at a state park a must-do activity this summer.” ~ Craig Whipple, director of state parks, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation.
Along with the ‘Let’s Go Fishing’ clinics featuring trained instructors, 10 state parks will now provide loaner fishing equipment to visitors. Included in the equipment are rods, reels, fishing line and an assortment of lures or baits that can be signed out by park visitors to help provide instant access to some great fishing opportunities.
Park visitors will also have access to a fishing guide publication developed by Vermont Fish & Wildlife for the body of water at that park. The guide will include information about the waterbody, a lake or river map, a list of present fish species, applicable fishing tips and techniques for that waterway, and information about obtaining a Vermont fishing license.
In addition to Grand Isle State Park on Lake Champlain, the following state parks will be participating in ‘Reel Fun’ in 2015: Lake Carmi State Park, Stillwater State Park on Groton Lake, Branbury State Park on Lake Dunmore, Silver Lake State Park, Wilgus State Park on the Connecticut River, Half Moon State Park on Half Moon Pond, Lake St. Catherine State Park, Woodford State Park on Adams Reservoir and Brighton State Park on Spectacle Pond.
“From my personal experience camping and fishing with my family, I can attest that Vermont’s state parks and fishing are a natural combination, The ‘Reel Fun’ program will help to make fishing in our state parks an easy option to anyone who might want to try it out.” ~ Eric Palmer, director of fisheries with Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
The program also includes a ‘Reel Fun VT’ photo contest where visitors can submit photos of themselves fishing at state parks. Three winners will be chosen at the end of the summer. The first place winner will receive two starter fishing kits as well as a weekend of free camping in a Vermont State Park. The second place winner will receive one starter fishing kit and a 2016 season vehicle pass for Vermont State Parks. Lastly, the third place winner will also receive a starter fishing kit and a punch card good for 10 visits to any Vermont State Park.
Visitors can submit ‘Reel Fun VT’ photos via email to fwinformation@state.vt.us or parks@state.vt.us, or can use #ReelFunVT to tag photos on Twitter.
Vermont Days, the weekend of June 13 and 14, is a great opportunity for park guests to experience fishing in Vermont State Parks. To find out more about Vermont Days, visit https://vermontvacation.com/vermont-days. June 13 is also Free Fishing Day in Vermont where any resident or non-resident can fish without a license.
To find out more about Vermont State Parks, make a camping reservation or learn about day use, visit http://www.vtstateparks.com/index.htm. To learn more about fishing in Vermont or to purchase a fishing license, visit http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com.
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is conducting an angler survey for the open water season. Information collected in this survey helps to provide insights into fishing efforts, catch rates, species targeted, and biological information from fish harvested. The survey is already underway and continues through October 15.
The survey is covers both Vermont and New York waters of Lake Champlain’s main basin from the Champlain Bridge (Crown Point, NY – Addison, VT) north to Isle LaMotte, VT.
“We conducted similar angler surveys in this manner in the 1980’s and 1990’s as part of the Lake Champlain trout and salmon fishery restoration program assessments, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lake trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon are the major species sought in this area of the lake, but we are collecting data from anglers fishing for all species to get a complete picture of the fishery for comparison with results from the previous surveys.” ~ Brian Chipman, Vermont Fish & Wildlife fisheries biologist
Department surveyors are conduct the survey by boat on weekends and holidays, as well as on randomly selected weekdays each week. Anglers are counted and asked to participate in a brief interview to obtain information about their fishing trip, including the amount of time they’ve been fishing, what they’re fishing for, what types of fish they’ve caught, and their state of residence. Survey clerks may also ask to examine and measure fish caught.
Participation in the angler survey is voluntary, and no personally identifiable information is recorded.
Vermont Trophy Trout StockingVermont Fish & Wildlife has begun its annual fish stocking. The stocking program will ultimately put over one million adult fish, fry and fingerlings – including over 18,000 trophy trout, into Vermont waters in 2015.
The fish stocking program is designed to help maintain and restore fisheries, which will increasing angling opportunities.
“We’ll be stocking nearly 18,500 large, two-year old trout across Vermont, and anglers will have the opportunity to fish over 34 miles of rivers and 28 lakes and ponds that are designated as trophy water. This means excellent fishing opportunities and an even better chance for anglers to catch the fish of a lifetime.” ~ Adam Miller, fish culture operations manager with Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
A complete list of trophy trout waters and the 2015 stocking schedule is shown below.
Trophy Trout Stocking 2015:
| WATERBODY | TOWN | WEEK OF: | 2YR RAINBOW | 2YR BROWN TROUT | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black River | Cavendish-Weathersfield | 5/4, 5/11, 5/18, 5/25 | 1500 | 500 | 2000 |
| East Creek | Rutland | 4/27, 5/25 | 1250 | 1250 | |
| Lamoille River | Fairfax | 4/27, 5/11 | 600 | 600 | |
| Mississquoi River | Enosburg | 4/27, 5/11 | 1000 | 1000 | |
| Otter Creek | Danby/Mt Tabor | 5/4, 5/25 | 500 | 500 | 1000 |
| Passumpsic River | St. Johnsbury | 5/4, 5/18 | 500 | 500 | 1000 |
| Walloomsac River | Bennington | 5/4, 5/18 | 750 | 250 | 1000 |
| Winooski River | Waterbury, Duxbury | 5/4, 5/18 | 1000 | 350 | 1350 |
Additional Trophy Stocking 2015:
In addition to annual stockings of yearling trout, the following ponds will also receive 2-year old trout.
| WATERBODY | TOWN | SPECIES | NUMBERPLANNED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Reservoir | Woodford | BKT | 60 |
| Amherst Lake | Plymouth | RBT | 60 |
| Black Pond | Hubbardton | RBT | 200 |
| Colby Pond | Plymouth | BKT | 60 |
| Colton Pond | Sherburne | BKT | 250 |
| Echo Lake | Plymouth | RBT | 70 |
| Goshen Dam | Goshen | BKT | 350 |
| Harriman Reservoir | Wilmington-Whitingham | BKT | 1000 |
| Holland Pond | Holland | RBT | 300 |
| Kent Pond | Sherburne | RBT | 500 |
| Kent Pond | Sherburne | BKT | 150 |
| Knapp Pond No 1 | Reading-Cavendish | RBT | 90 |
| Knapp Pond No 2 | Reading-Cavendish | BKT | 80 |
| Lake Paran | Bennington/Shaftsbury | RBT | 500 |
| Lake Raponda | Wilmington | RBT | 770 |
| Lake Rescue | Ludlow | RBT | 330 |
| Lake Shaftsbury | Shaftsbury | RBT | 40 |
| Lefferts Pond | Chittenden | BKT | 150 |
| May Pond | Barton | BKT | 350 |
| McIntosh Pond | Royalton | BKT | 200 |
| McIntosh Pond | Royalton | RBT | 300 |
| Mill Pond | Windsor | RBT | 300 |
| Miller Pond | Strafford | RBT | 600 |
| Miller Pond | Strafford | BKT | 200 |
| Osmore Pond | Peacham | BKT | 100 |
| Rood Pond | Williamstown,Brookfield | BKT | 550 |
| Searsburg Reservoir | Searsburg | BKT | 250 |
| Smith Pond | Pittsford | BKT | 250 |
| Stoughton Pond | Weathersfield | RBT | 600 |
| Sunset Lake | Brookfield | BKT | 250 |
| Sunset Lake | Brookfield | RBT | 300 |
| Zack Woods-Perch Ponds | Hyde Park/Wolcott | BKT | 50 |
*Trophy area stocking dates are subject to change based on weather and water conditions.
Yearlings/Smolts Stocking 2015:
| SPECIES | INLAND WATERS | LAKE CHAMPLAIN |
|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout | 56300 | |
| Brown Trout | 62150 | 48000 |
| Lake Trout | 13700 | 57000 |
| Landlocked Atlantic Salmon | 33000 | 148839 |
| Rainbow Trout | 67500 | |
| Steelhead Trout | 10000 | 58000 |
| Total | 242650 | 311839 |
Because the Roxbury Fish Hatchery was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene there are fewer trout being stocked in inland lakes and streams. Roxbury had produced a significant number of the yearling and trophy fish every year, and there are plans to rebuild the hatchery.