Planning Your Trip Using Our Maps

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

Improved mapping in this edition includes state and federal public lands as well as the locations of free public fishing access areas. Also included is a chart showing fish species found in lakes and streams.

It is important for all of us who fish today to do our best to pass our fishing tradition on to the next generation. To help make it easier, young anglers do not need a license until they are 15 years old, and Vermont offers significantly reduced license rates for anglers 15-18 years old
($8 for residents, $15 for nonresidents).

Fishing in Vermont is easier than in many states because we have more than 800,000 acres of federal and state public land open to fishing. Be sure to look at the maps included here that show where you can find state wildlife management areas, state forests, state parks, national wildlife refuges, and the Green Mountain National Forest. More detailed maps of state wildlife management areas are on the Fish & Wildlife website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) and in the “Guide to Wildlife Management Areas of Vermont” book available through the online store.

To learn more about Vermont fishing, check in at our website or call us at (802) 241-3700. Copies of helpful publications available on the website can be found under “Fishing.”

If you don’t live in Vermont, planning your trip and finding a place to stay is easy at www.VermontVacation.com. Additional information about lodging and guides is available from the Vermont Outdoor Guides Association at www.voga.org and at 1-800-425-8747.

Fishing licenses can be purchased online through our website and from agents statewide.

USING THE MAPS

First, use the Map Guide, which contains the whole state and directs you to a specific map for the area of the state you wish to fish. The maps are clearly labeled with a map number (1–15). Find the area you wish to fish and click on the map number to open a high-quality PDF map of that specific area. As you look at the map, you will notice small numbers (stream section number) inside colored boxes. These numbers indicate sections of rivers with a regulation that is different than the general regulations. In addition to the numbers, the stream sections are also highlighted in either a yellow or blue-green color. Once you have this number, go to the Index of Rivers & Streams, and in the last column you will find the stream section number. Below that row you will find the special regulations for that section. An alternative is to locate the name of the river or stream on the map. Once you have the name, you can go to the Index of Rivers & Streams and find the special regulation for that section.

For example, on Map 6 you will see number 57. Using the Index of Rivers & Streams, you will find that this section is on Ridley Brook (also labeled on the map) from the Winooski River upstream to the first falls. This section has a special trout regulation with a 10″ to 16″ protected slot and a 2 trout daily limit of which only 1 can be greater than 16 inches.

Lakes and Ponds

Lakes that are colored orange contain some special fisheries regulations. On these lakes be sure to check the Index of Lakes & Ponds for the specific regulation on these water bodies.

Aquatic Nuisance Species

The maps also include information on the distribution of aquatic nuisance species (ANS). Streams with ANS are labeled with a code in a rose box and certain streams are highlighted in rose. Lakes with ANS are labeled with a code in a rose box. The ANS codes are listed on the indices for Rivers & Streams and Lakes & Ponds. Please remember, aquatic nuisance species (ANS) spread prevention practices should always be employed when visiting ANY waterbody, regardless of whether a known infestation is present. Invasive species and/or fish diseases could be present but as yet undetected. For more information, see Aquatic Nuisance Species.