What is the Vermont bag limit for brook trout?

The Vermont daily bag limit for brook trout is 8 / day combined trout (brook + brown + rainbow) rivers + streams; 6 / day lakes + ponds; reduced (1-2 / day) on listed special-regulation reaches. The possession limit is Same as daily bag. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size brook trout can you keep in Vermont?

The Vermont size rule for brook trout is No statewide minimum; 18 in min White River trophy reach; 10-16 in protected slot Mettawee River; Heritage Trout Waters per listing. Trophy rule: Battenkill famous reaches catch-and-release only (all trout released); White River trophy reach 18 in min + 1 / day artificial lures + flies only; Northeast Kingdom wild brook trout ponds produce 14-16 in trophy fish from Heritage Trout Waters.

Do you need a license to fish for brook trout in Vermont?

Yes. Vermont requires a valid fishing license to fish for brook trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Vermont license — compare resident and non-resident Vermont fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for brook trout in Vermont?

Yes. In Vermont, brook trout fishing carries these gear rules: Artificial-lures-only catch-and-release on listed Battenkill + White River + Heritage Trout Waters; Live fish bait PROHIBITED on listed designated waters; Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout waters since 2011 (didymo + whirling disease prevention); VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual); VT does NOT issue a separate Trout Stamp — regular Fishing Licence covers trout fishing on all waters; Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for special waters list — brook trout rules are water-by-water.

Do specific Vermont waters have different brook trout rules?

Yes. 6 named Vermont waters carry rules that override the statewide brook trout regulation, including White River, Battenkill, Lamoille River, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Vermont Brook trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Salvelinus fontinalis

Last updated May 26, 2026

Vermont's brook trout fishery is one of the most extensive wild brook trout systems in the eastern US after Maine — the Green Mountain National Forest (400,000 acres across central + southern Vermont in Bennington, Rutland, Windsor, Windham Counties) carries the upper headwater wild brook trout tier across the Battenkill + White River + West River + Williams River + Black River + Saxtons River headwater systems. The White River (60 miles in Orange / Windsor Counties — Granville to Connecticut River at White River Junction) is Vermont's most celebrated wild brook + brown trout river. The Northeast Kingdom (Orleans + Essex + Caledonia Counties — Vermont's least-populated region in the northeast corner of the state) carries the most extensive wild brook trout pond + small-stream habitat in southern New England — VT F&W manages dozens of Heritage Trout Waters with self-sustaining wild brook trout populations + special artificial-lures-only catch-and-release restrictions. VT F&W stocks 300,000+ catchable rainbow + brown + brook trout annually via the Salisbury + Bald Hill + Newark + Roxbury + Bennington fish hatcheries. The Battenkill (60 miles in Bennington County — Mount Equinox to Hudson River at Salem NY — VT/NY boundary) is the legendary 'Beaverkill of New England' — a historic global fly-fishing destination, Manchester VT carries Orvis Company HQ and the American Museum of Fly Fishing; its famous Manchester reaches now run catch-and-release ONLY (NY line to the Depot Street bridge — all trout released — plus the Depot Street to US Route 7 bridge reach catch-and-release every October 1-31). Under Vermont's 2022 fishing-regulations simplification, the general trout rule is a combined brook + brown + rainbow aggregate of 8 fish per angler per day from rivers + streams (6 per day from lakes + ponds) with no statewide minimum length; listed special-regulation reaches carry their own minimums (e.g. the White River trophy reach at 18 in, 1 / day, artificial lures + flies only) and protected slots (e.g. the Mettawee at a 10-16 in slot). Brook trout is the VERMONT STATE COLD-WATER FISH.

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Season

Rivers + streams open second Saturday of April through October 31; lakes + ponds add January 1 – March 15; listed special-regulation + Heritage Trout reaches carry artificial-lures-only catch-and-release restrictions (2022 simplification).

Apr 11 – Oct 31Rivers + streams + general lakes/ponds — open harvest season
Open harvest 2nd Saturday of April through end of October
Jan 1 – Mar 15Lakes + ponds — winter season
Lakes + ponds add a Jan 1 – March 15 open window (ice-fishing season)

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 8 / day combined trout (brook + brown + rainbow) rivers + streams; 6 / day lakes + ponds; reduced (1-2 / day) on listed special-regulation reaches
Possession: Same as daily bag

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum; 18 in min White River trophy reach; 10-16 in protected slot Mettawee River; Heritage Trout Waters per listing
Trophy rule: Battenkill famous reaches catch-and-release only (all trout released); White River trophy reach 18 in min + 1 / day artificial lures + flies only; Northeast Kingdom wild brook trout ponds produce 14-16 in trophy fish from Heritage Trout Waters

Gear restrictions

Artificial-lures-only catch-and-release on listed Battenkill + White River + Heritage Trout Waters
Live fish bait PROHIBITED on listed designated waters
Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout waters since 2011 (didymo + whirling disease prevention)
VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual)
VT does NOT issue a separate Trout Stamp — regular Fishing Licence covers trout fishing on all waters
Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for special waters list — brook trout rules are water-by-water

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Vermont waters:

White River
Special trophy reach (Lilliesville Brook → below Cleveland Brook) 18 in min, 1 / day, artificial lures + flies only; VT's most celebrated wild brook + brown trout river
Battenkill
Catch-and-release ONLY on the famous Manchester reaches (NY line to Depot St bridge — all trout released — + Depot St to Route 7 reach C&R Oct 1-31); historic global fly-fishing destination (Orvis HQ + American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester)
Lamoille River
8 / day combined trout (rivers + streams), no statewide min
Mettawee River
10-16 in protected slot (release all 10-16 in), 2 trout / day, only 1 over 16 in
Walloomsac River
Wild brown trout; standard 8 / day combined trout (rivers + streams); one of southern VT's most celebrated trout streams (confirm listed special-regulation reaches per the VT F&W Fishing Guide)
Green Mountain National Forest
Wild brook + brown trout headwater streams; VT F&W regs apply under USFS jurisdiction

Official source

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department publishes the authoritative 2026 Vermontfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

Visit official Vermont fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Brook trout closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department's emergency-order feed — check it before any Vermont trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is brook trout season in Vermont?: Rivers + streams open second Saturday of April through October 31; lakes + ponds add January 1 – March 15; listed special-regulation + Heritage Trout reaches carry artificial-lures-only catch-and-release restrictions (2022 simplification). Those are the 2026 Vermont dates; always confirm against Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department before a trip, because an emergency order can shift an opener with little notice.
What is the Vermont bag limit for brook trout?: The Vermont daily bag limit for brook trout is 8 / day combined trout (brook + brown + rainbow) rivers + streams; 6 / day lakes + ponds; reduced (1-2 / day) on listed special-regulation reaches. The possession limit is Same as daily bag. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size brook trout can you keep in Vermont?: The Vermont size rule for brook trout is No statewide minimum; 18 in min White River trophy reach; 10-16 in protected slot Mettawee River; Heritage Trout Waters per listing. Trophy rule: Battenkill famous reaches catch-and-release only (all trout released); White River trophy reach 18 in min + 1 / day artificial lures + flies only; Northeast Kingdom wild brook trout ponds produce 14-16 in trophy fish from Heritage Trout Waters.
Do you need a license to fish for brook trout in Vermont?: Yes. Vermont requires a valid fishing license to fish for brook trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Vermont license — compare resident and non-resident Vermont fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for brook trout in Vermont?: Yes. In Vermont, brook trout fishing carries these gear rules: Artificial-lures-only catch-and-release on listed Battenkill + White River + Heritage Trout Waters; Live fish bait PROHIBITED on listed designated waters; Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout waters since 2011 (didymo + whirling disease prevention); VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual); VT does NOT issue a separate Trout Stamp — regular Fishing Licence covers trout fishing on all waters; Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for special waters list — brook trout rules are water-by-water.
Do specific Vermont waters have different brook trout rules?: Yes. 6 named Vermont waters carry rules that override the statewide brook trout regulation, including White River, Battenkill, Lamoille River, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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