What is the Vermont bag limit for brown trout?

The Vermont daily bag limit for brown trout is 8 / day combined trout (brook + brown + rainbow) rivers + streams; 6 / day lakes + ponds; 3 / day Lake Champlain. The possession limit is Same as daily bag. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size brown trout can you keep in Vermont?

The Vermont size rule for brown trout is No statewide minimum on most waters; 12 in min Lake Champlain; special reaches carry 18 in min (White River) or 10-16 in protected slots (Mettawee). Trophy rule: VT state-record brown trout 22 lb 2.5 oz (Sherman Reservoir, 1990, Barry Bouker); the Battenkill produces wild browns under catch-and-release management; Lake Champlain + Lake Memphremagog hold large lake-run browns.

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

Yes. Vermont requires a valid fishing license to fish for brown 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 brown trout in Vermont?

Yes. In Vermont, brown trout fishing carries these gear rules: Battenkill (NY line to Depot St bridge + Depot St to Route 7 reach) catch-and-release ONLY — all trout released; artificial-regulation reaches; White River special reach (Lilliesville Brook → below Cleveland Brook) artificial lures + flies only, 18 in min, 1 / day; Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout waters since 2011 (didymo + whirling disease prevention); VT does NOT issue a separate Trout Stamp — regular Fishing Licence covers trout fishing on all waters; VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual); Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide — brown trout special-water rules are reach-by-reach.

Do specific Vermont waters have different brown trout rules?

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

2026 regulation year

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

Salmo trutta

Last updated June 3, 2026

Brown trout are the heart of Vermont's celebrated wild-trout river heritage, and the Battenkill (60 miles in Bennington County — Mount Equinox to the Hudson River at Salem NY) is the legendary 'Beaverkill of New England' — a historic global fly-fishing destination where Manchester VT carries the Orvis Company headquarters and the American Museum of Fly Fishing. The Battenkill's famous wild-brown reaches now run catch-and-release ONLY: from the New York state line upstream to the Depot Street bridge in Manchester all trout must be released (and the section is closed November 1 to early April), and the Depot Street to US Route 7 bridge reach is catch-and-release every October 1-31 along with its tributaries (Green River, Roaring Branch, Warm Brook). The White River (Vermont's most celebrated wild brook + brown trout river — 60 miles, Granville to the Connecticut River) carries a special trophy reach (Lilliesville Brook downstream to below Cleveland Brook) at an 18-inch minimum, 1 trout per day, artificial lures + flies only; the Mettawee River runs a 10-16 inch protected slot (release all 10-16 in), 2 trout per day, only 1 over 16 in. Lake Champlain + Lake Memphremagog hold large lake-run brown trout, and the Lamoille, Winooski, Otter Creek, and Walloomsac rivers carry strong wild + stocked brown populations. Under Vermont's 2022 regulations simplification, the general trout rule is a combined brook + brown + rainbow aggregate of 8 fish per day from rivers + streams (6 per day from lakes + ponds) with no statewide minimum length — listed special waters carry their own minimums, slots, and gear restrictions. On Lake Champlain the combined trout limit is 3 per day at a 12-inch minimum. VT F&W stocks brown trout via the Salisbury + Bald Hill + Bennington hatcheries; Vermont does NOT issue a separate Trout Stamp. Vermont state-record brown trout 22 lb 2.5 oz (Sherman Reservoir, 1990, Barry Bouker).

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Season

Rivers + streams open second Saturday of April through October 31; lakes + ponds add January 1 – March 15; Lake Champlain open year-round. Combined brook + brown + rainbow aggregate 8 / day rivers + streams, 6 / day lakes + ponds (2022 simplification); special reaches carry minimums, slots + catch-and-release.

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)
Jan 1 – Dec 31Lake Champlain — open year-round
Lake Champlain open all year; combined trout 3 / day, 12 in min

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 8 / day combined trout (brook + brown + rainbow) rivers + streams; 6 / day lakes + ponds; 3 / day Lake Champlain
Possession: Same as daily bag

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum on most waters; 12 in min Lake Champlain; special reaches carry 18 in min (White River) or 10-16 in protected slots (Mettawee)
Trophy rule: VT state-record brown trout 22 lb 2.5 oz (Sherman Reservoir, 1990, Barry Bouker); the Battenkill produces wild browns under catch-and-release management; Lake Champlain + Lake Memphremagog hold large lake-run browns

Gear restrictions

Battenkill (NY line to Depot St bridge + Depot St to Route 7 reach) catch-and-release ONLY — all trout released; artificial-regulation reaches
White River special reach (Lilliesville Brook → below Cleveland Brook) artificial lures + flies only, 18 in min, 1 / day
Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout waters since 2011 (didymo + whirling disease prevention)
VT does NOT issue a separate Trout Stamp — regular Fishing Licence covers trout fishing on all waters
VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual)
Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide — brown trout special-water rules are reach-by-reach

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Vermont waters:

Battenkill
Catch-and-release ONLY on the famous Manchester reaches — NY line to Depot St bridge (all trout released; closed Nov 1 – early April) + Depot St to Route 7 bridge C&R every Oct 1-31; historic global fly-fishing destination (Orvis HQ + American Museum of Fly Fishing)
White River
Special reach (Lilliesville Brook → below Cleveland Brook) 18 in min, 1 trout / day, artificial lures + flies only; VT's most celebrated wild brown + brook trout river
Mettawee River
10-16 in protected slot (release all 10-16 in), 2 trout / day, only 1 over 16 in
Otter Creek
Combined trout no more than 2 on the Vermont Railway bridge reach, no minimum; warm-water river with wild + stocked browns
Lake Champlain
Combined trout 3 / day, 12 in min; large lake-run brown trout; VT/NY reciprocity
Lamoille River
8 / day combined trout (rivers + streams), no statewide min; wild brown trout + smallmouth

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.

The brown trout rules on this page are sourced from Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department's official brown trout regulation page.

Visit official Vermont fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Brown 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 brown trout season in Vermont?: Rivers + streams open second Saturday of April through October 31; lakes + ponds add January 1 – March 15; Lake Champlain open year-round. Combined brook + brown + rainbow aggregate 8 / day rivers + streams, 6 / day lakes + ponds (2022 simplification); special reaches carry minimums, slots + catch-and-release. 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 brown trout?: The Vermont daily bag limit for brown trout is 8 / day combined trout (brook + brown + rainbow) rivers + streams; 6 / day lakes + ponds; 3 / day Lake Champlain. The possession limit is Same as daily bag. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size brown trout can you keep in Vermont?: The Vermont size rule for brown trout is No statewide minimum on most waters; 12 in min Lake Champlain; special reaches carry 18 in min (White River) or 10-16 in protected slots (Mettawee). Trophy rule: VT state-record brown trout 22 lb 2.5 oz (Sherman Reservoir, 1990, Barry Bouker); the Battenkill produces wild browns under catch-and-release management; Lake Champlain + Lake Memphremagog hold large lake-run browns.
Do you need a license to fish for brown trout in Vermont?: Yes. Vermont requires a valid fishing license to fish for brown 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 brown trout in Vermont?: Yes. In Vermont, brown trout fishing carries these gear rules: Battenkill (NY line to Depot St bridge + Depot St to Route 7 reach) catch-and-release ONLY — all trout released; artificial-regulation reaches; White River special reach (Lilliesville Brook → below Cleveland Brook) artificial lures + flies only, 18 in min, 1 / day; Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout waters since 2011 (didymo + whirling disease prevention); VT does NOT issue a separate Trout Stamp — regular Fishing Licence covers trout fishing on all waters; VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual); Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide — brown trout special-water rules are reach-by-reach.
Do specific Vermont waters have different brown trout rules?: Yes. 6 named Vermont waters carry rules that override the statewide brown trout regulation, including Battenkill, White River, Mettawee River, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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