What is the Vermont bag limit for lake trout?

The Vermont daily bag limit for lake trout is Lake Champlain 3 / day (separate Table 2 limit); all other waters a combined 2 / day aggregate shared with landlocked salmon (and with brook/brown/rainbow trout on Memphremagog / Willoughby / Seymour / Caspian). The possession limit is Daily limits apply (Lake Champlain 3; 2 / day aggregate elsewhere) — VT publishes no separate multi-day possession multiplier for cold-water species. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size lake trout can you keep in Vermont?

The Vermont size rule for lake trout is 15 in min Lake Champlain; 18 in min general waters + Seymour + Caspian; 24 in min Lake Memphremagog + Lake Willoughby. Trophy rule: VT state-record lake trout 35 lb 4 oz — Seymour Lake, 1979 — still standing; Lake Champlain produces 8–12 lb fish routinely with 20+ lb trophy fish reported annually. The 2022 simplification consolidated the former Seymour + Caspian 23 in trophy minimums into the four-lake 2-fish all-trout aggregate..

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

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

Yes. In Vermont, lake trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; ice-fishing tip-ups + jiggers permitted during the January 1 – March 15 winter season on listed waters; Down-rigger trolling permitted (most-effective summer tactic on deep-water structure); Live fish bait PROHIBITED on certain designated waters per VT F&W special-regulations list; Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout / salmon waters since 2011; VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual); Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for trophy waters list.

Do specific Vermont waters have different lake trout rules?

Yes. 5 named Vermont waters carry rules that override the statewide lake trout regulation, including Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, Seymour Lake, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

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

Salvelinus namaycush

Last updated June 3, 2026

Vermont supports only two self-sustaining native lake trout lakes — Lake Champlain (490 sq mi VT/NY/QC boundary, 6th-largest natural US lake) and Lake Memphremagog (102 sq mi VT/Quebec international boundary, 351 ft deep) — both managed under the Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Program (USFWS + VT F&W + NY DEC since 1990 using TFM lampricide treatments on tributaries to suppress invasive sea lamprey predation on lake trout + landlocked salmon). The species was severely depressed in Lake Champlain by sea lamprey predation through the 1980s but has recovered to a viable recreational fishery under the modern control program with stocking supplements via the USFWS Lake Champlain Fish & Wildlife Restoration Office. VT F&W also manages stocked + holdover lake trout in the Northeast Kingdom deep-water lakes — Seymour Lake (1,732 acres, Orleans County — source of the VT state-record lake trout, 35 lb 4 oz in 1979), Lake Willoughby (1,653 acres, Orleans County — deepest natural lake in VT at 320 ft, sandwiched between Mount Pisgah + Mount Hor, often called 'America's Lucerne'), and Caspian Lake (789 acres, Orleans County). Vermont's 2022 regulation simplification restructured the cold-water limits. On Lake Champlain (eRegs Table 2), lake trout carry a 15-inch minimum + 3 fish per day as a SEPARATE limit. Everywhere else lake trout fall under a COMBINED 2-fish daily aggregate shared with landlocked salmon — general waters carry an 18-inch lake trout minimum (salmon 17-inch). The four special boundary / Northeast Kingdom lakes — Lake Memphremagog, Lake Willoughby, Seymour Lake and Caspian Lake — tighten that to a single 2-fish daily aggregate across ALL trout + salmon combined (brook + brown + rainbow + lake trout + landlocked salmon), with a 24-inch lake trout minimum on Memphremagog + Willoughby and the general 18-inch minimum on Seymour + Caspian (the pre-2022 23-inch trophy minimums on Seymour + Caspian were folded into the 2-fish aggregate). Season opens the second Saturday of April through October 31, with a January 1 – March 15 winter / ice-fishing season on the deep-water lakes — Vermont's classic Northeast Kingdom Orleans County winter fishery.

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Season

Open second Saturday of April through October 31 + January 1 – March 15 winter / ice season on lakes. Lake Champlain lake trout 15 in min + 3 / day (separate Table 2 limit); all other waters a combined 2 / day aggregate shared with landlocked salmon — general 18 in min, Lake Memphremagog + Lake Willoughby 24 in min.

Apr 11 – Oct 31Statewide lake trout waters — open harvest season
Open harvest 2nd Saturday of April through end of October
Jan 1 – Mar 15January 1 – March 15 winter / ice-fishing lake trout waters
Winter / ice-fishing season per eRegs Table 1 (Lakes & Ponds) on the deep-water lakes

Bag & possession

Daily bag: Lake Champlain 3 / day (separate Table 2 limit); all other waters a combined 2 / day aggregate shared with landlocked salmon (and with brook/brown/rainbow trout on Memphremagog / Willoughby / Seymour / Caspian)
Possession: Daily limits apply (Lake Champlain 3; 2 / day aggregate elsewhere) — VT publishes no separate multi-day possession multiplier for cold-water species

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: 15 in min Lake Champlain; 18 in min general waters + Seymour + Caspian; 24 in min Lake Memphremagog + Lake Willoughby
Trophy rule: VT state-record lake trout 35 lb 4 oz — Seymour Lake, 1979 — still standing; Lake Champlain produces 8–12 lb fish routinely with 20+ lb trophy fish reported annually. The 2022 simplification consolidated the former Seymour + Caspian 23 in trophy minimums into the four-lake 2-fish all-trout aggregate.

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; ice-fishing tip-ups + jiggers permitted during the January 1 – March 15 winter season on listed waters
Down-rigger trolling permitted (most-effective summer tactic on deep-water structure)
Live fish bait PROHIBITED on certain designated waters per VT F&W special-regulations list
Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout / salmon waters since 2011
VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual)
Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for trophy waters list

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Vermont waters:

Lake Champlain
15 in min, 3 / day (separate Table 2 limit); one of only two self-sustaining lake trout lakes in VT; VT/NY interstate reciprocity
Lake Memphremagog
24 in min; counts within a combined 2 / day aggregate across all trout + landlocked salmon; VT-portion only (no QC reciprocity); second self-sustaining lake trout lake in VT
Seymour Lake
18 in min; combined 2 / day aggregate across all trout + landlocked salmon (pre-2022 23 in trophy min consolidated); VT state-record lake trout 35 lb 4 oz (1979)
Lake Willoughby
24 in min; combined 2 / day aggregate across all trout + landlocked salmon; 'America's Lucerne'; classic ice-fishing destination
Caspian Lake
18 in min; combined 2 / day aggregate across all trout + landlocked salmon (pre-2022 23 in trophy min consolidated); Northeast Kingdom deep-water lake

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

Visit official Vermont fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Lake 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 lake trout season in Vermont?: Open second Saturday of April through October 31 + January 1 – March 15 winter / ice season on lakes. Lake Champlain lake trout 15 in min + 3 / day (separate Table 2 limit); all other waters a combined 2 / day aggregate shared with landlocked salmon — general 18 in min, Lake Memphremagog + Lake Willoughby 24 in min. 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 lake trout?: The Vermont daily bag limit for lake trout is Lake Champlain 3 / day (separate Table 2 limit); all other waters a combined 2 / day aggregate shared with landlocked salmon (and with brook/brown/rainbow trout on Memphremagog / Willoughby / Seymour / Caspian). The possession limit is Daily limits apply (Lake Champlain 3; 2 / day aggregate elsewhere) — VT publishes no separate multi-day possession multiplier for cold-water species. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size lake trout can you keep in Vermont?: The Vermont size rule for lake trout is 15 in min Lake Champlain; 18 in min general waters + Seymour + Caspian; 24 in min Lake Memphremagog + Lake Willoughby. Trophy rule: VT state-record lake trout 35 lb 4 oz — Seymour Lake, 1979 — still standing; Lake Champlain produces 8–12 lb fish routinely with 20+ lb trophy fish reported annually. The 2022 simplification consolidated the former Seymour + Caspian 23 in trophy minimums into the four-lake 2-fish all-trout aggregate..
Do you need a license to fish for lake trout in Vermont?: Yes. Vermont requires a valid fishing license to fish for lake 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 lake trout in Vermont?: Yes. In Vermont, lake trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; ice-fishing tip-ups + jiggers permitted during the January 1 – March 15 winter season on listed waters; Down-rigger trolling permitted (most-effective summer tactic on deep-water structure); Live fish bait PROHIBITED on certain designated waters per VT F&W special-regulations list; Felt-soled wading boots BANNED on Vermont wild trout / salmon waters since 2011; VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual); Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for trophy waters list.
Do specific Vermont waters have different lake trout rules?: Yes. 5 named Vermont waters carry rules that override the statewide lake trout regulation, including Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, Seymour Lake, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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