Vermont Ice Fishing Guides and Information
This page provides information for guided and self guided ice fishing trips. Fishing season doesn't end when the lakes freeze over. For some it's just beginning. Ice fishing is popular and a lot of fun. Each winter thousands of anglers venture onto Vermont’s frozen lakes seeking pan fish for the dinner table as well as trophy-size lake trout and northern pike. Hire a guide service or plan your own trip.
Cheryl's Pike
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Family Ice Fishing Adventures
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Rainbow Trout
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Ice Fishing Guides and Outfitters
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Fishing Information
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Ice Fishing Basics Access Areas Bait and Tackle Shops Vermont Fish Records Fishing Tournaments Recommended Lodging
Green Mountain Inn
Stowe, VT Lake Morey Resort Fairlee, VT The Anchorage Lake Champlain Islands South Hero, VT. The Willough Vale Inn Northeast Kingdom Westmore, VT |
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Ice Safety Tips
In Part From the Burlington Free Press with tips, from the U.S. Coast Guard, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, fishing groups and other organizations:
STAY SAFE, FOLLOW THESE ICE FISHING SAFETY TIPS
WATERBURY, VT -- Ice fishing is popular and a lot of fun. Each winter thousands of anglers venture onto Vermont’s frozen lakes seeking panfish for the dinner table as well as trophy-size lake trout and northern pike. And, each winter, there are ice-related accidents often caused by poor judgment or poor decisions based on inadequate information.
-- Wait to walk on ice until it is a minimum of 2 inches thick. Many people wait until ice is 4 inches thick. Snowy ice is less sturdy than clear, hard ice.
-- Contact local bait shops and resorts for information on known thin ice areas.
-- River ice is always unsafe. Be extremely cautious crossing ice near river mouths, points of land, bridges, islands, and over reefs and springs. Current almost always causes ice to be thinner over these areas.
-- Currents and weak ice are usually under lake bridges.
-- Carry a pair of ice picks tied together with strong cord and wear them around your neck. You can use the picks to hoist yourself up if you fall through the ice. Holding one in each hand, you can alternately punch them into the ice and pull yourself up and out. You can make these at home, using large nails, or you can purchase good ones at stores that sell fishing supplies.
-- Avoid alcohol at all costs. It weakens judgment and enhances hypothermia.
-- Avoid driving on ice, but if you do, some safety experts suggest unbuckling your seatbelt and have a plan of action if the vehicle breaks through. Some also suggest driving with windows down and doors ajar for an easy escape. Move your car frequently because parking in one spot for a long time weakens ice. Leave your car or truck on shore. Every year several motor vehicles go through the ice on Vermont lakes, and many people have drowned as a result.
-- Let people know when and where you are going out on the ice. Leave information about your plans with someone -- where you intend to fish and when you expect to return.
-- When going out on the ice, probe ahead with an ice chisel. If the chisel goes through, gingerly turn around and retrace your steps off the ice.
-- Heated fishing shanties must have good ventilation to prevent deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. Open a window or the door part way to allow in fresh air.
-- Wear a personal floatation device and don't fish alone.
-- Avoid going onto the ice if it has melted away from the shore. This indicates melting is underway, and ice can shift position as wind direction changes.
-- Waves from open water can quickly break up large areas of ice. If you can see open water in the lake and the wind picks up, get off!
-- Carry a safety line that can be thrown to someone who has gone through the ice.
In Part From the Burlington Free Press with tips, from the U.S. Coast Guard, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, fishing groups and other organizations:
STAY SAFE, FOLLOW THESE ICE FISHING SAFETY TIPS
WATERBURY, VT -- Ice fishing is popular and a lot of fun. Each winter thousands of anglers venture onto Vermont’s frozen lakes seeking panfish for the dinner table as well as trophy-size lake trout and northern pike. And, each winter, there are ice-related accidents often caused by poor judgment or poor decisions based on inadequate information.
-- Wait to walk on ice until it is a minimum of 2 inches thick. Many people wait until ice is 4 inches thick. Snowy ice is less sturdy than clear, hard ice.
-- Contact local bait shops and resorts for information on known thin ice areas.
-- River ice is always unsafe. Be extremely cautious crossing ice near river mouths, points of land, bridges, islands, and over reefs and springs. Current almost always causes ice to be thinner over these areas.
-- Currents and weak ice are usually under lake bridges.
-- Carry a pair of ice picks tied together with strong cord and wear them around your neck. You can use the picks to hoist yourself up if you fall through the ice. Holding one in each hand, you can alternately punch them into the ice and pull yourself up and out. You can make these at home, using large nails, or you can purchase good ones at stores that sell fishing supplies.
-- Avoid alcohol at all costs. It weakens judgment and enhances hypothermia.
-- Avoid driving on ice, but if you do, some safety experts suggest unbuckling your seatbelt and have a plan of action if the vehicle breaks through. Some also suggest driving with windows down and doors ajar for an easy escape. Move your car frequently because parking in one spot for a long time weakens ice. Leave your car or truck on shore. Every year several motor vehicles go through the ice on Vermont lakes, and many people have drowned as a result.
-- Let people know when and where you are going out on the ice. Leave information about your plans with someone -- where you intend to fish and when you expect to return.
-- When going out on the ice, probe ahead with an ice chisel. If the chisel goes through, gingerly turn around and retrace your steps off the ice.
-- Heated fishing shanties must have good ventilation to prevent deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. Open a window or the door part way to allow in fresh air.
-- Wear a personal floatation device and don't fish alone.
-- Avoid going onto the ice if it has melted away from the shore. This indicates melting is underway, and ice can shift position as wind direction changes.
-- Waves from open water can quickly break up large areas of ice. If you can see open water in the lake and the wind picks up, get off!
-- Carry a safety line that can be thrown to someone who has gone through the ice.