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Fishing Lake Willoughby: what the data says
1,864-acre lake near Vermont. The lake tops out around 337 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Burbot fishing at Lake Willoughby
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 25 to 70 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 286 ft, rated good for spring burbot. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Lake Trout fishing at Lake Willoughby
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 286 ft, rated good for summer lake trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Landlocked Salmon fishing at Lake Willoughby
Spring landlocked salmon on Lake Willoughby hold shallow, usually 1 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 286 ft of water that rates good for landlocked salmon in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Willoughby
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates good for rainbow trout in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Willoughby
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 286 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 152 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 84 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 84 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 10 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Willoughby?
Lake Willoughby is about 337 ft (103 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Lake Willoughby?
Anglers target rainbow trout, yellow perch, lake trout, landlocked salmon, burbot on Lake Willoughby.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Willoughby?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Willoughby?
For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
May Pond · Bald Hill Pond · Newark Pond · Crystal Lake · Pensioner Pond · Echo Lake
See how Lake Willoughby stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Vermont · best yellow perch lakes in Vermont · best lake trout lakes in Vermont · best burbot lakes in Vermont
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