Fly Fishing in Vermont

A regional note specific to this state: the trout water here is a mix of tailwaters below irrigation dams and a few high-country freestone streams, and the most productive water is the tailwater that produces the largest fish and the most consistent fishing throughout the year and across all seasons. Vermont trout fishing is a small but technically diverse fishery built on the cold-water streams of the Green Mountains and a few tailwaters in the central part of the state. The state has about 2,000 miles of fishable trout water, including the famous Battenkill, the West River, the Lamoille, the Otter Creek, and dozens more. The most famous trout river is the Battenkill, a freestone that runs through the Taconic Mountains and produces wild browns and rainbows averaging 14 inches. The state's trout program is administered through the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, and the agency stocks the put-and-take rivers and lakes in the spring and fall while managing the wild trout water through a combination of slot limits and Trophy Trout designations. A regular Vermont fishing license is required, and the cost is $28 for residents and $54 for non-residents, and the daily limit is 5 trout combined in most waters with a 2-trout limit on the Trophy Trout water. The unique regional quirk is that Vermont has a long fishing season, with most rivers and streams open from the first Saturday in April through the end of October, and a few tailwaters open year-round.