Vermont closes a 20-by-100-foot Hatchery Cove corridor for salmon Oct. 1–Nov. 30

Vermont Fish & Wildlife will shut a small strip of Hatchery Cove on Lake Champlain in Grand Isle to all fishing from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, 2026. A Commissioner’s Order covers a 20-foot by 100-foot corridor centered on the mouth of Hatchery Brook and extending from the water’s edge into the lake. The closed area is marked with signs.

Biologist Bernie Pientka said angler counts show heavy fishing pressure right in front of the brook day and night during the fall salmon run, which can block fish from entering the creek. Lake Champlain’s landlocked Atlantic salmon fishery is mostly hatchery-supported. Adults return to Hatchery Brook each fall, but the brook lacks spawning gravel, so culture staff collect eggs from the run and raise fish for stocking. Egg take there has been lower than managers want; the department will watch passage and egg numbers over the next couple of years to see whether the limited closure helps.

The rest of Hatchery Cove stays open. Respect the signs through November 30.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Vermont Fish & Wildlife — Fishing Restricted in Part of Hatchery Cove to Protect Spawning Salmon (Sept. 25, 2026).