USA · Northeast
Vermont
Fishing License 2026.
Fishing License & Permit · Fishing Times · Waters & Fish Species · Cost Overview
🌙Fishing Times 2026Simple license
Best fishing times
·Vermont44.00°, -72.70°
01
Fishing License & Permit
- License required?
- Yes
- Where to apply?
- Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department (VTFWD), online via Vermont Outdoors portal, authorized agents (Walmart, bait shops, town clerks).
- Cost
- Resident annual $28; non-resident annual $54; non-resident 1-day $22, 3-day $28, 7-day $38. Combo hunt/fish resident $42. No separate trout stamp.
- Validity
- Calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31).
- Available online?
- Yes
Required age 15+ (under 15 fish free). Residents 65+ qualify for discounted permanent license. Free Fishing Day early June (no license needed statewide). Ice fishing uses same annual license — no extra stamp. Vermont is landlocked — no saltwater license exists.
Buy fishing license for Vermont online
www.vtfishandwildlife.com
02
Rules & Regulations
- Closed seasons
- Wild trout streams: 2nd Saturday April – Oct 31 (closed winter). Lake trout/salmon Lake Champlain open year-round with size limits. Bass catch-and-release only 2nd Saturday April – 2nd Saturday June statewide.
- Catch limits
- Brook trout: 12/day inland streams, 8" min. Lake trout (Champlain): 2/day, 15" min. Landlocked salmon: 2/day, 15" min. Smallmouth/largemouth bass: 5/day combined, 10" min. Northern pike: 5/day, 20" min. Walleye: 3/day Champlain, 18" min.
- Prohibited methods
- No snagging, no chumming in trout streams, no live bait in designated wild trout waters, no gaffing game fish, max 2 lines ice fishing (5 on Champlain with permit).
- Catch & Release
- Mandatory C&R for bass during pre-season (April–June). Wild trout streams: barbless hooks encouraged, no bait in designated artificial-only waters.
Lake Champlain has joint NY/VT reciprocity — single VT or NY license valid on the lake if fishing from boat. Ice fishing shanties need owner ID. No motorized ice augers in some brook trout refuge waters.
03
Waters & Fish Species
Top waters
- —Lake Champlain (world-class smallmouth, lake trout, landlocked salmon, northern pike — 490 sq mi)
- —Connecticut River (smallmouth, walleye, shad run — VT/NH border)
- —Lake Memphremagog (lake trout, landlocked salmon — VT/Quebec border)
- —Battenkill River (wild brook + brown trout, fly fishing icon)
- —Green Mountain brook-trout streams (Mad River, White River tributaries — wild natives)
- Best season
- May–June (post-ice smallmouth + trout peak), September–October (fall salmon run + cool-water pike). Ice fishing January–March.
- Freshwater
- 800+ lakes and ponds, 7,000 miles of streams. Lake Champlain dominates volume; Northeast Kingdom ponds hold wild brook trout; southern streams (Battenkill, Walloomsac) are fly-fishing destinations.
- Saltwater
- Landlocked — no ocean coast. Closest saltwater is 150 miles east (Maine/NH coast).
04
Practical Information
- Equipment
- Orvis flagship store Manchester (world HQ). Bait shops in Burlington, Montpelier, St. Albans. Ice fishing gear widely stocked Dec–March.
- Fishing guides
- $350–$550/day Lake Champlain bass guide; $400–$600 fly guide Battenkill; $250–$400 ice fishing guide.
- Transport
- Burlington International Airport (BTV) serves Lake Champlain (30 min). Boston Logan 3.5 hrs to southern VT. Montreal 2 hrs to northern lakes.
- Safety
- Ice-thickness judgment critical Dec–March (minimum 4" for walking, 8–12" for vehicle). Black fly season late May–June. Hypothermia risk on Champlain in shoulder seasons.
05
Cost Overview
- License fees
- $28 resident / $54 non-resident annual
- Guide prices
- $350–$600/day
- Daily budget
- DIY bank/kayak: $40–$70/day incl. license. Guided full-day: $400–$650 plus tip, lunch, tackle.