Lake Champlain longnose gar is new Vermont state record

Rutland, Vt. – Vermont Fish and Wildlife recently announced that a longnose gar taken by a bowfishing angler in 2023 has been certified as a new state record.

In May of 2023, Pennsylvania angler Jeremy Bicking was out bowfishing in the evening on Lake Champlain and took a gar that weighed 18.6 pounds. This big fish measured 54¾ inches in length, a ¼ inch longer but 3 ounces lighter than the current record longnose gar taken by rod and reel in 2007. State records are kept separately for four species of fish that can be taken both by hook-and-line and bowfishing.

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Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist Shawn Good, who administers the state’s Record Fish Program, says in recent years, anglers have expanded their species preferences to include many of the state’s under-appreciated but equally challenging native sport fish species.

“While fishing remains excellent for more traditional sport fish species such as bass, trout, walleye, and pike, there are so many other fish out there that can provide amazing action with real trophy potential. Fish like bowfin, gar, freshwater drum, suckers, and even fallfish – Vermont’s largest native minnow species – the opportunities are endless,” said Good.

Although not new state records, two other notable fish were entered in the State Record Fish Program in 2023 – an 11.86 pound walleye from Lake Champlain and a 25.6 pound lake trout from Echo Lake in Charleston.

“While Lake Champlain gets most of the attention for lake trout fishing opportunities and action in Vermont, many of the inland lakes in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom are real sleepers for big fish,” said Good.

Still, Good says that the 11.86-pound walleye entry is a testament to the ongoing successes of fisheries management efforts on the lake. The department’s walleye hatchery on Grand Isle, and the continued success of long-term sea lamprey control by the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative (comprised of Vermont Fish & Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) has only helped bolster walleye and other sport fish species in the lake.

“It’s been amazing to see what anglers are catching lately on Champlain for big walleye. The population has really been booming in the last few years, with lots of 10-pound plus fish being caught. As one of the fisheries biologists on the lake, it’s really heartening to see our hard work and long-term management efforts paying off for anglers.”