Lamoille River Fishing Guides
A northern Vermont river with wild browns in the upper water, smallmouth below, and lake-run salmon and steelhead pushing up from Champlain in the fall.
Guides on the Lamoille River
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About the Lamoille River
The Lamoille runs west across northern Vermont from the Greensboro country to Lake Champlain, and it offers a genuinely unusual range of fishing for a river of its size. The upper and middle reaches around Johnson and Jeffersonville are classic New England freestone trout water – riffle, run and pool over cobble, with hardwood hills on both sides and the Green Mountains standing behind. The lower river below Milton is bigger, slower, warmer and an entirely different proposition.
Brown trout are the mainstay of the middle river and a meaningful number of them are wild. They hold in the deeper runs, against the ledges and under the bank cover, and they grow well in a river with this much insect life. Rainbows and brook trout share the water, brookies concentrating in the colder tributaries. Smallmouth bass move in as the river warms downstream and provide excellent summer fishing through the lower and middle reaches.
The lake-run fishery is what makes the Lamoille distinctive. Landlocked salmon and steelhead run up from Lake Champlain in the autumn, and Vermont manages the river with that migration in mind. Those fish are the reason some anglers fish the lower river in October and November in weather that would keep anyone else at home. Northern pike and walleye occupy the slow lower water and the delta near the lake.
Access is good, with Route 15 following the river for much of its length and frequent bridge crossings, town parks and informal pull-offs. The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail runs along the corridor and opens up stretches that were awkward to reach on foot. Check the current regulations, because seasons and gear rules differ between the trout water and the lake-run reaches, and check the gauge, since northern Vermont rain moves this river quickly.
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Access
Johnson - the gauge reach and a convenient access on the middle river.
Jeffersonville - access on the upper middle reach.
Lamoille Valley Rail Trail - walk-in access along much of the corridor.
Route 15 crossings - roadside access at frequent intervals.
Cambridge - access on the middle river.
Fairfax falls area - access on the lower river above the impoundment.
Milton and the Champlain delta - the lake-run reach at the bottom.
Seasons
Spring: high snowmelt water, then strong trout fishing as it drops through May.
Summer: the best wading of the year, with trout above and smallmouth below.
Fall: the salmon and steelhead run from Champlain, and the river's best weeks.
Winter: cold and largely iced, with very limited access along the valley.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Lamoille River?
As of Sep 17, 5:30 am, the USGS gauge LAMOILLE RIVER AT JOHNSON, VT reads 85 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Lamoille River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Fallfish, Landlocked Salmon, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead, Walleye on the Lamoille River in Vermont.
Where can you access the Lamoille River?
Johnson - the gauge reach and a convenient access on the middle river. Jeffersonville - access on the upper middle reach. Lamoille Valley Rail Trail - walk-in access along much of the corridor. Route 15 crossings - roadside access at frequent intervals. Cambridge - access on the middle river. Fairfax falls area - access on the lower river above the impoundment. Milton and the Champlain delta - the lake-run reach at the bottom.
When is the best time to fish the Lamoille River?
Spring: high snowmelt water, then strong trout fishing as it drops through May. Summer: the best wading of the year, with trout above and smallmouth below. Fall: the salmon and steelhead run from Champlain, and the river's best weeks. Winter: cold and largely iced, with very limited access along the valley.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lamoille River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Vermont agency site: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/fish/fishing-regulations