2026 regulation year
Winooski River 2026 — Vermont Fishing Regulations
Vermont statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Winooski River carries 3 special-regulation overlays on top of Vermont's 2026 fishing rules — covering Smallmouth bass, Walleye. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
Smallmouth + walleye + brown trout below dams + tidal anadromous fish below Winooski Dam (river herring + American shad limited run); 10 in min smallmouth + statewide April 14 – June 14 C&R spawning closure applies
Source: Vermont special-water list
Per-species rules on Winooski River
10 in min, 5 / day combined; April 14 – June 14 statewide C&R only
18 in min, 3 / day; spring tributary spawning run March – April for Lake Champlain walleye
Official source
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department publishes the authoritative 2026 Vermont fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Vermont fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department's emergency-order feed — check it before any Vermont trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in Vermont
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Winooski River?
- Winooski River carries 3 special-regulation overlays that override Vermont's statewide 2026 rules, covering Smallmouth bass and Walleye. One of them reads: "Smallmouth + walleye + brown trout below dams + tidal anadromous fish below Winooski Dam (river herring + American shad limited run); 10 in min smallmouth + statewide April 14 – June 14 C&R spawning closure applies." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Winooski River?
- Yes. Winooski River is in Vermont, so a valid Vermont fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Winooski River; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Vermont rules.
- Do Winooski River's special rules replace Vermont's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Vermont's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Winooski River by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Winooski River?
- Smallmouth bass and Walleye have a water-body-specific rule on Winooski River, each linking to its full Vermont regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Vermont limits.