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Best rainbow trout lakes in Vermont

14 Vermont waters hold rainbow trout, 14 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. The classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.

1. Lake Champlain — 392 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
2. Lake Dunmore — 106 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
3. Crystal Lake — 106 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
4. Great Averill Pond — 102 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout
5. Lake Hortonia — 58 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
6. Lake Fairlee — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout
7. Chittenden Reservoir — 37 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout
8. Joe's Pond — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
9. Caspian Lake — 142 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout
10. Fairfield Pond — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout
11. Lake Salem — 67 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout
12. Island Pond — 59 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout
13. Little Averill Pond — 113 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout
14. Peacham Pond — 59 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch

When to fish rainbow trout in Vermont

• Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
• Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.

Also in Vermont: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best lake trout lakes

Rainbow Trout elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · North Dakota · Indiana · Connecticut · Utah · Colorado · Alaska · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Nevada · Tennessee · Missouri · Oregon · Maine · West Virginia · Rhode Island · New Jersey · California · Idaho