Where to Go
Shelburne Bay is a large bay on Lake Champlain, located in the town of Shelburne, south of Burlington. You can fish along the shoreline at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s Shelburne Bay Access Area, with best fishing from the bridge on Bay Road to the point. You can also access the La Platte River, where the best fishing is usually found closer to the bridge.
If the fishing is slow, there are a number of fun things to do nearby. Just west of the access area is Shelburne Bay Park which has a beautiful one-mile walking trail along Lake Champlain. If you head into the town of Shelburne you can find more trails at La Platte Nature Park, just off Shelburne Falls Road. The Shelburne Museum and the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory are both right on route 7. Burlington is also just a short 15-minute drive away
Fish You'll Find
As part of Lake Champlain, this location has an incredibly diverse fish community. Lake Champlain has over 90 species of fish, many of which are highly-prized recreational sport fish.
This access area offers excellent fishing both in Shelburne Bay and in the La Platte River for fish species such as yellow perch, white perch, bluegill sunfish, smallmouth and largemouth bass, rock bass, brown bullhead, and northern pike.
If you fish early spring and late fall you may encounter lake trout or rainbow trout. Late spring and early summer offers excellent fishing for panfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, as well as northern pike.
Fishing Tips
Casting a minnow or worm under a bobber out into Shelburne Bay is a great way to catch a variety of fish species. Try varying the depth until you begin catching fish. Spinner baits and minnow-imitating plugs are also good bets here.
Learn more about freshwater baits and lures.
How Do I Get There?
Take US Route 7 to Shelburne and turn west onto Bay Road. Travel west on Bay Road approximately 1 mile, and the Access Area will be on the right. Once at the access area you can either fish the La Platte River (Bay Road crosses this river) or Shelburne Bay and Lake Champlain itself.
Get directions