Fishing Access Areas

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department maintains developed fishing access areas. These sites provide public access to waters in Vermont for shore fishing opportunities and launching of water craft. The department manages access areas with concrete or gravel ramps for launching and retrieving of boats. Additionally, there are access areas where non-motorized vessels can easily be launched. All access areas are open to hunting, trapping, fishing, and boating. Management and administration of all access areas is primarily funded through the sale of motorboat registration fees and the Sport Fish Restoration Program (SFR). The SFR Program was created to restore and better manage America's declining fishery resources and was modeled after the successful Wildlife Restoration Program. Excise taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, import duties, and interest are collected and appropriated from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department uses these monies for acquiring land as well as developing and maintaining boat and fishing access areas. These excise tax dollars, coupled with motorboat registration fees, have been the predominate source of funding for the access program over the last 20 years. Prior to the use of motorboat registration fees, angler license dollars were used in a similar fashion.