Lake Champlain is our own Great Lake: it borders two countries, two states, is 122 miles long, has hundreds miles of shoreline, and is home to over 90 species of fish. It is a four-season fisherman's destination with both cold water and warm water species of natural fish populations and stocked populations (trout and salmon). There are boat launch sites at Port Douglas, Port Henry, Ticonderoga, Westport, and Willsboro Bay, and many other places along the way.
Fishing
The most popular game fish species include: large and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, channel catfish, yellow perch, lake trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow (steelhead) trout, brown trout, and rainbow smelt.
Marinas, boat rentals and supplies, and fishing guides and charters are all available to make your next day on the water, a great one.
Ice fishing
The massive water for which the region is named is a world-class fishery any time of year. In winter, hard water anglers flock to the ice in search of yellow perch, lake trout, landlocked Atlantic salmon, northern pike, and the tasty rainbow smelt. Virtual communities of ice shanties spring up in places like Bulwagga Bay in Port Henry, where the ice fishing tradition is as strong as ever. Westport and Willsboro bays have their own angling fraternities, with some anglers jigging up perch and smelt and others preferring to set tip-ups and sit back and relax, waiting for the telltale flag that signals a bite. Ice fishing is more than just the pursuit of the fish that cruise below the hard water. It’s a social event of the most unique kind, and it brings together folks who embrace the winter and enjoy all that it has to offer.