Any great spots to fish in VT/NH/ME area?

[Donsail68]

Hey guys,

Would like to do a week long kayak camping trip in August in Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine area. I've fished in lot of places in upstate New York. This time like to try a different state. Will prefer to camp on a campground where there's easy access to the water. I prefer small lakes or ponds where gas motors are not allowed. More isolated the better. Like to target smallmouth but other species are welcome.

Would love any tips and suggestions.

Many thanks

Donnie

[Mark]

Donnie,

A couple of summers ago I visited a friend who had rented a "camp house" on South Hero Island in VT. It was August. The house was rustic like many on the island. I think it was built in the 1940s and had not been updated since. There are many rental units like it on the island.

South Hero is in Lake Champlain which of course is big water and not precisely what you asked for. However, given the island's many cuts and bays, it's easy to find leeside protection from the wind. Shorelines like this along South Hero are very common:

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We kayak fished it and even though we were in big water, we stayed relatively close to shore and it fished like small water.

The smallmouth bass were phenomenal. I was used to catching the typical 11 to 14 inch smallmouth in the upper Potomac. The Lake Champlain smallies were huge by comparison. Our routine catches were 18 to 20 inches, fat and strong:

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I was catching them on the same 1/8 oz. perch spinners I make for use here in the Chesapeake. I also caught them on 1/8 oz. jigs with a 3 inch paddletail. My buddy was using a wacky worm rig. It didn't really matter. The smallmouth were so plentiful, so aggressive and so large our arms ached from pulling them in.

So, if you get a chance to tangle with Lake Champlain smallmouth I'd strongly encourage you to do it.

Good luck,

[YakMan1731]

Hi Donnie,

I grew up in Vermont, and fished all over the place there, both kayaking and on a bass boat. Here are some recommendations with general info. Happy to provide more detail if you want it:

Lake Morey (Vermont)- Small lake, gas motors allowed but it's not a big enough to make boat traffic an issue in my experience. Great largemouth fishery.
Lake Fairlee (Vermont)- Similar to Morey, and right nearby. Gas motors allowed, but again I wouldn't say it's a huge issue unless it's a summer weekend. My favorite lake to fish in Vermont. I can give you a ton of detail about the layout of this lake if you want it- shore structure, etc.
Dewey's Pond (Vermont)- A mill pond which is and has always been my favorite place to kayak fish since I first went there when I was 14. My brother caught a 9 pounder out of here. It gets absolutely choked with lilies in the summer, but is still quite fishable. I've had my best bass fishing days ever here.
Lake Umbagog (Borders NH and Maine)- Large lake, very isolated. Errol, NH is the closest town. It's a "blink-and-you-miss-it" type of town, but every bit as awesome as a small New England town in the woods can be. Umbagog is an unreal smallmouth fishery. When it's on, I have caught a fish a cast, and they aren't all dinks.
Connecticut River (Border between VT and NH)- I grew up next to the Connecticut, and fished it heavily, from Post Mills, VT down to Wilder, VT (my hometown). Can be a tough river above the dam because of the fluctuating water levels, but has great smallmouth and largemouth territory.

Good luck!

[Donsail68]

Pawtuckaway lake state park

Thanks guys foe the replies. I almost picked Umbagog lake at one of those remote campsites but its too rough for my wifes taste. So we ended up securing a waterfront campsite at Pawtuckaway lake for August.

Anyone who has been there, I’ll love to hear ur thoughts.

Donnie

[brianisoutside]

I just sent you a Pm for New Hampshire


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