Trophy Trout Streams

Vermont offers some of the best trout fishing in the Northeast with wild brookies, rainbows and browns found in many streams having good habitat. But our Trophy Trout Program kicks it up a notch. Anglers looking to hook into a big lunker should give one of our trophy trout streams a try. Thousands of two-year-old brookies, rainbows and browns, some more than 18 inches long, are stocked each spring and are just waiting for your cast.

Here’s where you can find them:

• Black River along Rt. 131 in Weathersfield and Cavendish — From Downers covered bridge upstream approximately 4 miles to the next bridge (the Howard Hill Bridge) across the river.
• Deerfield River in Searsburg — From the downstream edge of the East Branch Trailhead Bridge in Searsburg upstream 4 miles to the downstream edge of the bridge on Somerset Road near the junction with Forest Road 71 in Searsburg.
• East Creek in Rutland City — From the confluence with Otter Creek upstream approximately 2.7 miles to the top of the Patch Dam in Rutland City.
• Lamoille River in Fairfax — From the downstream edge of the bridge on Route 104 in the Village of Fairfax upstream approximately 1.6 miles to the top of the Fairfax Falls Dam in Fairfax.
• Little River in Waterbury — From the confluence with Winooski River in Waterbury upstream to the top of the Waterbury Reservoir Dam in Waterbury.
• Missisquoi River in Enosburg and Sheldon — From the downstream edge of Kane Road (TH-3) bridge upstream approximately 5.7 miles to the top of the Enosburg Falls Dam in Enosburg Falls.
• Otter Creek in Danby and Mt. Tabor — From the Vermont Railway Bridge north of the fishing access upstream approximately 2 miles to the Danby-Mt. Tabor Forest Rd. Bridge (Forest Road # 10).
• Passumpsic River in the Village of St. Johnsbury — From the top of the Gage Dam in St. Johnsbury upstream approximately 2.4 miles to the top of the Arnold Falls Dam.
• Moose River in St. Johnsbury — From the confluence with the Passumpsic River upstream approximately 350 feet to the downstream edge of the Concord Avenue bridge in the Village of St. Johnsbury.
• Walloomsac River in Shaftsbury and Bennington — From the Vermont/New York border in Shaftsbury upstream to the top of the former Vermont Tissue Plant Dam (downstream of Murphy Road) in Bennington.
• Winooski River in Duxbury and Waterbury — From the top of the Bolton Dam in Duxbury and Waterbury upstream to the Route 2 Bridge (east side of Waterbury Village).

These stream sections are open to trout harvest from the second Saturday in April through October 31 with a daily limit of 2 trout. Catch and release angling using artificial flies and lures is allowed year-round.