Lake Memphremagog Fishing Guides and Conditions, Vermont

About the Lake Memphremagog

Memphremagog lies in Vermont Northeast Kingdom and runs north across the border into Quebec, a long deep glacial lake surrounded by hills and farmland. Only the southern portion is in Vermont, with Newport at the head of it, and that is where most American angling effort is concentrated.

Landlocked Atlantic salmon are the signature fish, supported by stocking and by the smelt forage base, and they are the reason most anglers come. Lake trout share the deep water and are caught through the year. Brown trout add another coldwater option.

Smallmouth bass on the rock are very good and comparatively overlooked. Walleye, northern pike and yellow perch make up the warmwater fishery, and the perch fishing through the ice is a genuine local season.

The lake crosses an international border, which matters practically: fishing on the Quebec side requires Quebec licensing and customs reporting, and it is not something to work out on the water. Most visitors stay in Vermont water, which is more than enough.

This is a quiet corner of a quiet state. Boat traffic is light by the standards of Champlain or Lake George, and a weekday in autumn on Memphremagog can feel like having a large lake to yourself.

The rivers entering at the south end matter more than their size suggests. The Clyde, the Barton and the Black all draw fish toward their mouths at different points in the year, and working those areas is a reliable way to find salmon and walleye without covering the whole lake.

The gauge below reports lake elevation at Newport. The level responds to snowmelt and rain rather than to an operator, and it matters most for the shallow southern bays and the river mouths.

Access

Newport: the main public ramp and services at the head of the lake.
Prouty Beach: camping, ramp and shore access.
South Bay: shallower water at the very south end.
Public access sites along the Vermont shore.
The Clyde, Barton and Black rivers enter near Newport.
Ice access in winter is from Newport and the southern bays.
Note: the lake crosses into Quebec. Know where the border is before you cross it.

Seasons

Winter: perch and pike through the ice, with lake trout for those who work for them.
Spring: salmon near the surface after ice-out, the best trolling of the year.
Summer: deep salmon and lake trout, smallmouth on the rock, quiet water.
Fall: coldwater fish shallow again and the lake almost empty.