Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US 7 bridge south of East Dorset Special-regulation reach limit | Regulation section limit | 43.22989, -73.01043 | Upstream limit of the Batten Kill special-regulation reach that runs down to the Depot Street bridge in Manchester. US 7 is divided here and the marker sits on the upstream carriageway. |
| 2 | Vermont Route 7A | Bridge crossing | 43.22685, -73.01138 | |
| 3 | Benedict Road | Bridge crossing | 43.22546, -73.01253 | |
| 4 | Barnumville Road | Bridge crossing | 43.18975, -73.01707 | |
| 5 | Depot Street bridge, Manchester VT 11 / VT 30 crossing | Regulation section limit | 43.17357, -73.03754 | Boundary between the two Batten Kill special-regulation reaches: downstream limit of the upper reach and upstream limit of the reach running to the New York line. |
| 6 | Adams Park Manchester Center | Park / conservation area | 43.17756, -73.05298 | |
| 7 | The Reel Angler Fly shop, Manchester Center | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 43.17438, -73.05210 | |
| 8 | The Mountain Goat Outdoor shop, Manchester Center | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 43.17674, -73.05662 | Tagged as a general outdoor shop rather than a fly shop, so check before relying on it for tackle. |
| 9 | Orvis Flagship Store Manchester | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 43.16903, -73.06579 | |
| 10 | Orvis Fishing School Manchester | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 43.16927, -73.06668 | |
| 11 | Orvis Fly Rod Shop and Factory Manchester | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 43.16828, -73.06482 | |
| 12 | Union Street | Bridge crossing | 43.16204, -73.05585 | |
| 13 | Richville Road | Bridge crossing | 43.13230, -73.08009 | |
| 14 | Sunderland Hill Road | Bridge crossing | 43.11511, -73.09578 |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Hill Farm Road | Bridge crossing | 43.11516, -73.12048 | |
| 16 | Wagon Wheel Vermont F and W leased access, Arlington | Access / boat ramp | 43.09760, -73.14140 | Boating and fishing access. |
| 17 | Camping on the Battenkill Arlington | Campsite | 43.08403, -73.14828 | |
| 18 | Arlington Recreation Park Arlington | Park / conservation area | 43.07901, -73.15329 | |
| 19 | Waterworks Bridge Vermont F and W leased access, Arlington | Access / boat ramp | 43.07660, -73.15680 | Boating and fishing access. |
| 20 | Vermont Route 313 West Arlington | Bridge crossing | 43.07646, -73.15711 | |
| 21 | USGS gauge - Batten Kill at Arlington Live flow and stage | USGS gauge | 43.07619, -73.15677 | |
| 22 | Howells Camping Area Arlington | Campsite | 43.06844, -73.16491 | Customer access only. |
| 23 | Benedict Crossing Road | Bridge crossing | 43.08990, -73.19891 | |
| 24 | Arlington Green Covered Bridge Covered bridge | Bridge crossing | 43.10435, -73.22034 | |
| 25 | River Road | Bridge crossing | 43.10295, -73.25463 | |
| 26 | Red Mill Vermont F and W access | Access / boat ramp | 43.10600, -73.25840 | Slipway and parking at the Red Mill; the last Vermont access before the state line. |
| 27 | New York state line Special-regulation reach limit | Regulation section limit | 43.10635, -73.26495 | Downstream limit of the Batten Kill special-regulation reach that begins at the Depot Street bridge in Manchester, and the end of the Vermont water. |
Gauge: no real-time USGS gauge on this water. Check conditions locally.
Species: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout
Regulations: www.vtfishandwildlife.com/fish/fishing-regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Arlington - Route 313 west of the village follows the river for several miles with pull-offs and marked angler parking.
West Arlington covered bridge - parking at the green, wadeable water up and down from the bridge.
Route 7A between Arlington and Sunderland - repeated highway pull-offs, all within a short walk of the water.
Manchester, Depot Street bridge - the upstream boundary of the catch-and-release main stem, easy access from town.
East Branch along Route 7A north of Manchester - the special-regulation branch, small water, roadside access.
Battenkill Valley Rail Trail between Manchester and Arlington - foot access to reaches you cannot reach by car.
No live gauge on this reach. USGS 0
Spring: the season opens the second Saturday in April. Hendricksons come off in the last two weeks of April and are the best dry-fly fishing of the year; the river is high and coloured after snowmelt but drops quickly.
Summer: early morning and the last hour of light. Terrestrials along the banks in July and August, and by late summer in a dry year the river runs low and warm enough that fishing i