Lake Champlain?

[Fishing Rhino]

I've heard a lot about the smallmouth fishing in Lake Champlain, but never heard about this.

From the MSN article "Don't Go There" list of places to avoid.

"Don't Go There: Vermont

POLLUTED PLACES: Did you know that Vermont has 126 lakes and rivers that are so polluted that they don't meet minimum water-quality standards? One of the worst is Lake Champlain. At least 19 of the state's storm-water-impaired streams drain into this lake, making it literally toxic in some spots."

[Tin]

South of Crowne Point maybe because of the paper mill and others.

[webertime]

By polluted they mean???? 

Phosphorus?  oh hell yeah, between all the new development with their "gotta have green lawns, so let's fertilize the heck out of them".  And the farmers growing crops on nothing more than clay "so let's fertilize the heck out of that too" then I do agree 100%. Some of the scientist that study the lake have hypothesized a lot of the non-industrial pollution (phosphorus/sulfur) is because of the sheer size of biomass (fish) in the lake is so large that natural die off of Smelt, Perch, Lakers, etc. might add tons of those chemicals to the lake. Hence the algae blooms/stink that can happen in the summer. 

There are a few spots (barge canal in Burlington, and two places on the NY side) were the lake bottom has some pretty toxic stuff going on, the specifics are escaping me at the moment, and those areas are currently being cleaned with Federal $$$.

Champlain has some pretty unique issues, chief being VT, NY and Canada all do different things to it.  VT has the agriculture run off issues.  NY has some manufacturing (paper mills) that create some gnarly chemicals as well as agricultural to a smaller extent.  Then the Canadians with the industrial pollution from up the Richelieu/St. Lawrence rivers from Montreal.  In addition to looser agricultural practices by the farms south of Montreal.  Trying to get 3 completely different governments and mindsets to sit down and work together has been an issue in the past.  However over the last few years there has been more cooperation amongst the parties involved.

From a fishing stand point though Champlain IS CLEANER now than even 20 years ago when I really got into it.  I know it's clearer (thank you Zebra Mussels).  This summer alone the Champlain record for Lake Trout was set and broken 3 times!  This past winter a 15+lb Walleye came came out of there, a VT record.  My last tournament we had 14 bags come in, 12 limits, 2 5+lb Smallies and one boat has 22lbs of Largemouths in 4 fish.  For a lake that is 1/2 way to the North Pole those are some pretty good numbers.

If I had to say there was anything about Champlain that stinks (well 2) is the frickin' ever present south wind.  And the fact that all the good spots/beds/humps have boats on them all season long.

[J Francho]

Yeah, don't go there, it sucks, LOL. :

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1285203525/0#0

[webertime]

Yeah, don't go there, it sucks, LOL. :

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1285203525/0#0

Nice! Those are from down south right?

We were out Wednesday and we saw a largemouth that was the size of those gallon jugs of Gatorade come up in the middle of a weed bed off a popular beach.  It swam straight up and destroyed a 10" Perch.  My buddy and I just about lost our minds...  easy 8.5+lbs.

[Fishing Rhino]

Yeah, don't go there, it sucks, LOL. :

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1285203525/0#0

I've seen that. 

The article doesn't say there are no fish.  Plus, it is speaking about Vermont.  Was that tourney held in the waters mentioned in the article, or New York?

In this area, there are many saltwater shellfish beds that are closed when there has been a rainfall that exceeds a set amount.

Pollution from local sewage systems that cannot handle that amount of rain as well as other contaminants run into the estuaries, rivers, and bays, supposedly making the shellfish unfit for human consumption.

After two weeks (the time varies from area to area) of relatively little rain, the areas are re-opened, when the shellfish and the water pass the harvesting standards.

To my knowlege, none of these local fishing areas are called "toxic".

Some areas, which are permanently closed, are prodigious producers of shellfish, be they quahogs, oysters, etc.

They amount to nurseries to replenish depleted areas.  The shellfish are harvested, then transplanted to the depleted, unpolluted waters for harvest after they have had time to cleanse themselves.

[J Francho]

We pretty much fished the VT side, from the south ferry to the big lake.

[Fishing Rhino]

I've been wanting to fish Lake Champlain since I started reading about it.  That's why the article caught my attention.

Still want to fish it next year for a few days.  Hopefully, it's only the area in the article that is affected.  Seems like VT has a serious problem with their waters.

Then again, it's not uncommon for a writer to exaggerate, and sensationalize isolated problems to make them seem widespread.

[WanderLust]

Yes, please stay away! Especially from my spots.

Champlain is seriously one of the best fisheries around.

[DDH]

Yea, the fish arent healthy in Champlain... Proof is this 7lb LM caught late august on Champlain..

[webertime]

Oh for sure VT's agricultural run off is an issue.  There are tons of Lawn Fertilizer, and Crop Fertilizer along the rivers, and a lot of payment on/near the lake and streams(raising the runoff's temperature) that are encouraging blooms.  But there are a lot of people dealing with that now...  It seems to be the current cause dejour for the Volvo driver socially responsible soccer moms.

You want junk water in VT... Harriman Res. you can't even eat a Rock Bass b/c of the Mercury, but it has huge Smallmouths in it.

[Vooden]

Does anyone know if the chemicals hinder the species? In terms of reproduction?

[Dean]

southern tip is my favorite spot. all those rock ledges hide some big bass. 

[Nova Kaw 650]

You want junk water in VT... Harriman Res. you can't even eat a Rock Bass b/c of the Mercury, but it has huge Smallmouths in it.

I had no idea!  We always ate trout out of that lake.  Why does Harriman/Lake Whitingham have so much mercury?

[Uncle Leo]

I've heard a lot about the smallmouth fishing in Lake Champlain, but never heard about this.

From the MSN article "Don't Go There" list of places to avoid.

"Don't Go There: Vermont

POLLUTED PLACES: Did you know that Vermont has 126 lakes and rivers that are so polluted that they don't meet minimum water-quality standards? One of the worst is Lake Champlain. At least 19 of the state's storm-water-impaired streams drain into this lake, making it literally toxic in some spots."

  I wonder who did the comparison? EPA on a state or federal level? Also were the toxins compared by percentage of level from state to state. It could be the Vermont did there own testing and their standards are help higher then the other states. Maybe the Vermont side is actually cleaner. It happens all the time on Lake Michigan with all of the border states.