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Best lake trout lakes in Vermont

24 Vermont waters hold lake trout, 8 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Deep, cold and long-lived. Below 50°F water year-round — shallow at ice-out and on fall spawning reefs.

1. Lake Champlain — 392 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Lake Memphremagog — 351 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
3. Lake Dunmore — 106 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
4. Crystal Lake — 106 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. Great Averill Pond — 102 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Lake TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Maidstone Lake — 117 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Harriman Reservoir — 180 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Lake TroutWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
8. Caspian Lake — 142 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake TroutWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Lake Willoughby — 337 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
10. Lac Wallace — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Little Averill Pond — 113 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Seymour Lake — 167 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
13. Echo Lake — 129 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
14. East Long Pond — 105 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
15. Lake Elligo — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
16. Lake Rescue — 95 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
17. Sunset Lake — 118 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
18. Nichols Pond — 109 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
19. Echo Lake — 91 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
20. Sunset Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
21. Amherst Lake — 90 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Spring Lake — 84 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
23. Center Pond — 72 ft max · Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
24. Echo Lake — 42 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

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When to fish lake trout in Vermont

• Spring 10–40 ft — The brief shallow window: post-ice-out lakers roam rock shoals and points where anyone can reach them.
• Summer 50–120 ft — Below the thermocline in sub-50°F water — deep humps and basin edges near bait (smelt, cisco, alewife).
• Fall 10–50 ft — Turnover puts lakers on shallow rock reefs to spawn — big fish shallow, best late in the day.
• Winter 20–80 ft — One of the best ice targets — cold water is their comfort zone; they roam basin edges and humps all winter.

Also in Vermont: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best chain pickerel lakes · best burbot lakes · best brown bullhead lakes

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