Vermont Fishing License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy

A Vermont fishing license costs $28 for a resident adult and $54 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).

Vermont's fishing license is cheap for residents and offers a genuine menu of short-term options for visitors, useful for anyone heading up for a weekend on Lake Champlain rather than committing to the full-year price.

What a Vermont fishing license costs

Residents pay $28 for the annual license; non-residents pay $54. Non-resident short-term options are $22 for 1 day, $28 for 3 days, or $38 for 7 days, all cheaper than the annual for a shorter trip. Residents 66 and older can buy a one-time $60 permanent license instead of renewing every year.

Who needs a license

Anglers 15 and older need a Vermont fishing license; younger anglers are generally exempt. The license applies to both Lake Champlain and Vermont's inland lakes, ponds and rivers under one purchase.

License year and deadlines

Vermont fishing licenses run the calendar year, January 1 through December 31, matching the hunting license cycle.

How to buy your Vermont fishing license

Vermont Fish and Wildlife's online system at vtfishandwildlife.com sells the annual and short-term licenses, and licenses are also available at town clerk offices and license agents around the state.

Fishing in Vermont: what to expect

Lake Champlain is Vermont's marquee fishery, shared with New York, holding smallmouth bass, walleye and lake trout in one of the largest lakes in the Northeast. The state's many smaller mountain lakes and streams, particularly in the Green Mountains, add strong trout fishing within a short drive of nearly anywhere in the state. The Connecticut River along the New Hampshire border adds smallmouth bass and the occasional Atlantic salmon restoration fish to the mix for anglers on the eastern side of the state.

The combo license and short-term visitors

Vermont's resident Combination license at $47 covers both hunting and fishing for less than the $28 fishing license and $28 hunting license bought separately. A visiting angler planning a single weekend on Lake Champlain should compare the $22 one-day or $28 three-day non-resident license against the $54 annual, since either short-term option makes more sense for a brief trip than committing to the full year.

How to renew a Vermont fishing license

There is no separate renewal process in Vermont. A fishing license is not extended in place; when it expires you buy a new one for the next license year through the same system you used the first time, and your customer profile, hunter or angler ID and any saved payment details carry over so the second purchase takes a couple of minutes. Licenses run the calendar year, Jan 1 through Dec 31.

The fastest route is the official Vermont online licensing portal, which also lets you print or download the new license and add any stamps, tags or endorsements in one transaction. In-person license agents (sporting goods stores, bait shops and, in many states, county clerks) sell the same license at the same price, so use whichever is closer. Buying before the old license lapses is not required, but it avoids an accidental gap if a season opens before you get round to it.

Planning more than one? See the Vermont hunting license page too, see how much a fishing license costs in every state, compare non-resident fishing fees across states, browse every state, or use the state license finder.