When is yellow perch season in Vermont?

Vermont keeps yellow perch open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Vermont bag limit for yellow perch?

The Vermont daily bag limit for yellow perch is 50 / day combined panfish (bluegill + bullhead + crappie + pumpkinseed + rock bass + yellow perch), no more than 25 crappie; NO daily limit on Lake Champlain. The possession limit is Same as daily bag (no separate panfish possession limit published). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size yellow perch can you keep in Vermont?

The Vermont size rule for yellow perch is No minimum length on yellow perch statewide (crappie 8 in min). Trophy rule: VT state-record yellow perch 2 lb 6.4 oz (Caspian Lake, Greensboro, March 2015, Keith Sherwood — through the ice); Lake Champlain's Inland Sea + Missisquoi Bay produce jumbo perch over 12 in routinely, the centerpiece of Vermont's winter ice fishery.

Do you need a license to fish for yellow perch in Vermont?

Yes. Vermont requires a valid fishing license to fish for yellow perch, 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 yellow perch in Vermont?

Yes. In Vermont, yellow perch fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; ice-fishing tip-ups, jigging rods + jiggers permitted year-round; Combined panfish daily limit shared across bluegill + bullhead + crappie + pumpkinseed + rock bass + yellow perch; VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual); Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for designated-water bait restrictions.

Do specific Vermont waters have different yellow perch rules?

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

2026 regulation year

Vermont Yellow perch 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Perca flavescens

Last updated June 3, 2026

Yellow perch are Vermont's most accessible and heavily-fished panfish, and Lake Champlain (490 sq mi VT/NY/QC boundary) is one of the great perch fisheries of the Northeast — the lake's shallow bays support enormous perch populations that anchor the state's marquee winter ice fishery, with jumbo perch over 12 inches taken routinely from the Inland Sea, Missisquoi Bay, and St. Albans Bay. Perch are abundant statewide in nearly every warm-water and cool-water lake and pond, including Lake Memphremagog (VT/QC boundary), Lake Bomoseen, Lake Carmi, Joe's Pond, and the Northeast Kingdom lakes — Caspian Lake in Greensboro produced the Vermont state-record yellow perch 2 lb 6.4 oz (Keith Sherwood of Hinesburg, March 2015, through the ice). Vermont manages yellow perch under a combined statewide PANFISH daily limit — 50 fish per day across the panfish group (bluegill, bullhead, black + white crappie, pumpkinseed, rock bass, and yellow perch combined), of which no more than 25 may be black + white crappie; there is no minimum length on yellow perch (crappie carry an 8-inch minimum). On Lake Champlain, yellow perch carry NO daily limit and no minimum length — reflecting the lake's vast perch biomass. The season is open year-round on all waters. Lake Champlain operates under the VT/NY interstate reciprocity statute — a valid VT OR NY freshwater fishing licence is honored on the main stem + Lake Champlain border waters.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round statewide; combined 50-fish panfish daily limit (no more than 25 crappie), no minimum length on yellow perch; NO daily limit on Lake Champlain.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 50 / day combined panfish (bluegill + bullhead + crappie + pumpkinseed + rock bass + yellow perch), no more than 25 crappie; NO daily limit on Lake Champlain
Possession: Same as daily bag (no separate panfish possession limit published)

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No minimum length on yellow perch statewide (crappie 8 in min)
Trophy rule: VT state-record yellow perch 2 lb 6.4 oz (Caspian Lake, Greensboro, March 2015, Keith Sherwood — through the ice); Lake Champlain's Inland Sea + Missisquoi Bay produce jumbo perch over 12 in routinely, the centerpiece of Vermont's winter ice fishery

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; ice-fishing tip-ups, jigging rods + jiggers permitted year-round
Combined panfish daily limit shared across bluegill + bullhead + crappie + pumpkinseed + rock bass + yellow perch
VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual)
Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for designated-water bait restrictions

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Vermont waters:

Lake Champlain
NO daily limit + no minimum length on yellow perch; premier Northeast perch + winter ice fishery; VT/NY reciprocity
Lake Memphremagog
50 / day combined panfish (no more than 25 crappie), no min; VT-portion only
Caspian Lake
50 / day combined panfish, no min; VT state-record yellow perch 2 lb 6.4 oz (2015)
Lake Bomoseen
50 / day combined panfish (no more than 25 crappie), no min
Joe's Pond
50 / day combined panfish, no min; classic Northeast Kingdom panfish + ice-fishing destination

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

Visit official Vermont fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Yellow perch 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 yellow perch season in Vermont?: Vermont keeps yellow perch open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Vermont bag limit for yellow perch?: The Vermont daily bag limit for yellow perch is 50 / day combined panfish (bluegill + bullhead + crappie + pumpkinseed + rock bass + yellow perch), no more than 25 crappie; NO daily limit on Lake Champlain. The possession limit is Same as daily bag (no separate panfish possession limit published). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size yellow perch can you keep in Vermont?: The Vermont size rule for yellow perch is No minimum length on yellow perch statewide (crappie 8 in min). Trophy rule: VT state-record yellow perch 2 lb 6.4 oz (Caspian Lake, Greensboro, March 2015, Keith Sherwood — through the ice); Lake Champlain's Inland Sea + Missisquoi Bay produce jumbo perch over 12 in routinely, the centerpiece of Vermont's winter ice fishery.
Do you need a license to fish for yellow perch in Vermont?: Yes. Vermont requires a valid fishing license to fish for yellow perch, 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 yellow perch in Vermont?: Yes. In Vermont, yellow perch fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; ice-fishing tip-ups, jigging rods + jiggers permitted year-round; Combined panfish daily limit shared across bluegill + bullhead + crappie + pumpkinseed + rock bass + yellow perch; VT Fishing Licence required ages 15+ ($32 res / $58 NR annual); Confirm current-year VT F&W Fishing Guide for designated-water bait restrictions.
Do specific Vermont waters have different yellow perch rules?: Yes. 5 named Vermont waters carry rules that override the statewide yellow perch regulation, including Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, Caspian Lake, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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