The area around McNeil Cove down to Converse Bay and Town Farm Bay off Thompson’s Point can be good for salmon and browns. The daily creel limit is three fish with a 15-inch minimum length limit.

Good walleye action is possible in most of the bays, but is generally best south of Ticonderoga on the New York side and in Missisquoi Bay and the northern Inland Sea area near Swanton. The walleye season runs through March 15 and the daily limit is five. Any of the shallow bays is apt to produce pike.

Fishermen will find accommodations, bait and tackle shops in the Burlington area. For more information, contact the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce at (877) 686-5253 or (802) 863-3489, or visit the chamber’s Web site at www.vermont.org. Be sure to ask for a copy of the Lake Champlain Fishing Guide.

Lake Willoughby/Seymour Lake
Two of the best trout waters in the Northeast Kingdom are Lake Willoughby in Westmore and Seymour Lake in Morgan. Both contain rainbow trout but are best known for their big lake trout. Each lake consistently produces fish in the 3- to 5-pound range, but 8- to 10-pounders are not uncommon. Lake Willoughby holds the state record for lake trout, a monster weighing over 35 pounds taken in 2003.

There are few secret hotspots on either lake during the winter season. Hardwater anglers should work in 50 to 80 feet of water off obvious points.

In Seymour Lake, try the south arm where the bottom drops to over 100 feet or more. Some of the points on the west shore can be good also. The same is true on Lake Willoughby, but popular spots include along the east shore north of Mt. Pisgah and along the west shore north of Mt. Hor. There is also some good water off Westmore on the west shore and one at the north end of Lake Willoughby.

Both lakes open to ice-fishing on the third Saturday in January and close the second Sunday in March. Fishermen are limited to four lines at Seymour Lake, and no more than two lines may be baited.

Lake Willoughby is accessible from I-91 off Exit 26 in Orleans, and then take Route 58 east toward Lake Willoughby. Route 5A travels down the east side of the lake from there. Seymour Lake is accessible from I-91 off Exit 28 in Darby Center, and then Route 111 east to Morgan Center right on the north end.

For information on accommodations, tackle and bait shops and other services, contact the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce at (800) 639-6379, or visit the agency’s Web site at www.nekingdonchamber.com.

For information on licenses, bag limits and other regulations, contact the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department at (802) 241-3700, or visit the Web site at www.anr.state.vt.us.

MASSACHUSETTS
Pontoosuc Lake
Massachusetts offers plenty of great ice-fishing, but for something different, Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield might prove interesting and exciting. This 480-acre lake has some good northern pike action during the winter months, but it is also home to tiger muskies, a sterile hybrid cross between northern pike and muskellunge. MassWildlife has stocked the pond with both species since 1980.