Lake Champlain Fishing
A 277,117-acre New York lake in Essex County, Clinton County and Washington County, shared with Vermont.
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Say hello to Lake Champlain
On the NHD layer, Lake Champlain spreads across about 277,117 acres in Essex County, Clinton County and Washington County. DEC lists the owner as DEC (9) – State Parks (3). The nearest village or town on the Census list is Willsboro, around 4 miles off. The far shore belongs to Vermont. It is a Eastern Adirondacks and Lake Champlain water in DEC terms.
Its DEC roster includes lake trout, atlantic salmon, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch and black crappie. 5 mapped launches put boats on it. The DEC launch type reads trailer improved. DEC lists its ice status as ice fishing permitted. Hatchery releases appear in 13 years of DEC lists starting 2011.
NYS Hydrography (NHD) outline, DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds, Census places, retrieved October 24, 2026.
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DEC lists, records and stocking rows place these fish in Lake Champlain.
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds species column, DEC stocking lists and state records, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Getting on the water at Lake Champlain
- Point Au Roche State Parkhard surface ramp, parking: 21 spaces (dec park field); managed by OPRHP
- Public Launch on Lake Champlain near Cumberland Headhard surface ramp, parking: 40 spaces (dec park field); managed by OPRHP
- Public Launch on Lake Champlain near Port Henryhard surface ramp, parking: 10 spaces (dec park field); managed by DEC
- Wilcox Dock Launchhard surface ramp, parking: 35 spaces (dec park field); managed by Municipal
- Ausable Point Campground & Day Use Areahand launch; managed by DEC
DEC boat launch and fishing access layers, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Sizes and bag limits at Lake Champlain
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Trout | 3; minimum 12" | All year |
| Lake Trout | 3; minimum 15" | All year |
| Landlocked Salmon | 2; minimum 15" | All year |
| Black Bass | 5; minimum 12" | Second Saturday in June – Nov 30 |
| Black Bass | No harvest; Catch and release only | Dec 1 – Friday preceding second Saturday in June |
| Walleye | 3; minimum 18" | First Saturday in May – Mar 15 |
| Muskellunge | 1; minimum 40" | Last Saturday in May – Nov 30 |
| Northern Pike | 5; minimum 20" | All year |
| Crappie | 25; minimum 8" | open all year |
| Pickerel | 10 | open all year |
| Yellow Perch | No daily limit | open all year |
| Sunfish | No daily limit | open all year |
| Sauger | No harvest | Closed |
| All species | No harvest | Closed |
DEC gives Lake Champlain a table of its own (Lake Champlain).
A New York license covers the New York side; whether it also counts across the line depends on DEC border-water agreements, so check before crossing. Residents pay $25.00 a year and nonresidents $50.00.
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations (statewide table effective April 1, 2026); county special regulations from the DEC region pages; retrieved October 24, 2026, figures checked against the DEC pages October 25, 2026.
Stocking tallies for Lake Champlain
The DEC lists carry 3 stocking entries for Lake Champlain between 2023 and 2023, led by brown trout.
| Year | Species | Type | Entries | Fish | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Brown Trout | stocked | 3 | 15,370 | 8.9 in, 9 in, 9.2 in |
DEC Fish Stocking Lists (Actual), 2023 to 2025, and DEC Current Season Spring Trout Stocking, 2026 (data.ny.gov), retrieved October 24, 2026. New York stocking.
Tournaments and derbies on Lake Champlain
See the Lake Champlain event page for dates and weights.
How Lake Champlain compares locally
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | DEC species | Stocked 2023-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Champlain | 277,117 | 5 | 10 | yes | |
| Lincoln Pond | 18 miles southwest | 647 | 1 | 5 | yes |
| Davis Lake | 25 miles northwest | 47 | 0 | 1 | |
| Military Pond | 25 miles northwest | 23 | 0 | 0 | yes |
| Munson Pond | 27 miles southwest | 23 | 0 | 2 | yes |
| Courtney Pond | 27 miles southwest | 7 | 1 | 0 | yes |
NYS Hydrography, DEC launch layers, DEC lake list and stocking lists, retrieved October 24, 2026.
The Lake Champlain neighborhood
Neighboring lakes of Lake Champlain
- Lincoln Pond18 miles southwest
- Davis Lake25 miles northwest
- Military Pond25 miles northwest
- Munson Pond27 miles southwest
- Courtney Pond27 miles southwest
Bait and tackle stops for Lake Champlain
- Essex Shipyard Marinamarina, Essex, 3 miles
- Willsboro Bay Boat Launchmarina, Essex, 6 miles
- Willsboro Bay Marinamarina, Essex, 6 miles
- Port Douglass Boat Launchmarina, Essex, 12 miles
- Westport Boat Launchmarina, Essex, 12 miles
- Westport Marinamarina, Essex, 12 miles
Captains and guides near Lake Champlain
- West Shore Charterscharter, Peru
- Cloudsplitters Outfittersfishing guide, Newcomb
- Middle Earth Expeditionsfishing guide, Lake Placid
- Outlaw Charterscharter, Ticonderoga
- Pocket Water Outfitterfishing guide, Wilmington
- Smokin LoonGuide Servicesfishing guide, Bloomingdale
Overnight options close to Lake Champlain
- Keeseville14 miles
- Plattsburgh26 miles
- Dannemora33 miles
Lake Champlain and the counties it spans
- Essex Countycounty seat Elizabethtown
- Clinton Countycounty seat Plattsburgh
- Washington Countycounty seat Fort Edward
Piscifun gear worth stowing for Lake Champlain
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Photographs of the species found at Lake Champlain
Photo: Knepp Timothy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: Dezidor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), CC BY 4.0
Trip questions for Lake Champlain
How do I locate Lake Champlain on a New York map?
The state map puts it in Essex County, Clinton County and Washington County, DEC Eastern Adirondacks and Lake Champlain, about 4 miles from Willsboro.
How large is Lake Champlain on New York maps?
About 277,117 acres on the NHD outline.
Where is the public launch at Lake Champlain?
Yes: 5 mapped launches, including Ausable Point Campground & Day Use Area.
Which fish turn up in DEC files for Lake Champlain?
Fish to hope for: lake trout, atlantic salmon, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and northern pike.
What goes home in the cooler from Lake Champlain?
Black Bass: 5; minimum 12"; Second Saturday in June – Nov 30.
Is a New York license required at Lake Champlain?
A New York license covers the New York side; whether it also counts across the line depends on DEC border-water agreements, so check before crossing. Residents pay $25.00 a year and nonresidents $50.00.
Which hatchery fish go into Lake Champlain?
Yes, 3 releases, most recently 2023.
Which shop on the list is nearest Lake Champlain?
Essex Shipyard Marina, about 3 miles off.
May I fish through the ice at Lake Champlain?
The DEC entry reads Ice Fishing Permitted.
Save a date for Lake Champlain
Fees, seasons and every DEC table are on the license page.