RUTLAND, Vt. – The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has released the Vermont Master Angler Program 2025 Report with 1,222 entries and 90 Master Angler Award recipients.
Vermont's wealth of waters and abundant fish populations provide many opportunities to experience outstanding fishing. The Vermont Master Angler Program recognizes the achievements of anglers who catch trophy-sized fish from Vermont waters and celebrates the clean water and healthy habitats that allow these fish to survive and grow to exceptional sizes.
The Vermont Master Angler program is a length-based program that sets "trophy sized" benchmarks for 37 eligible fish species. While these trophy-sized fish are a challenge to catch, they are attainable for anglers that develop the necessary knowledge and skills.
Anglers catching a fish exceeding the minimum qualifying length in any of the 37 species categories can receive a certificate commemorating their catch. Their names and catches are also included in the Vermont Master Angler Annual Report posted annually on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website. Anglers demonstrating the skill necessary to catch multiple species that all exceed the minimum qualifying lengths in the same calendar year are recognized as "Vermont Master Anglers" and receive a unique one-of-a-kind lapel pin at the end of the year. To qualify for the annual Vermont Master Angler Pin, an angler must submit qualifying entries for five or more species within a calendar year.
2025 was a record year for this very successful department fishing program, with 1,222 entries approved, 361 of which were from youth anglers. There were also 90 Vermont Master Angler award recipients in 2025 -- 28 of which were youth anglers. Youth anglers have a slightly lower minimum qualifying length for each species.
"We were glad to see so many entries come in this year, which broke the previous record of 1,200 trophy fish set in 2024. The program has really generated a lot of interest in fishing by encouraging and motivating anglers to try fishing for different species, and often with different gear in different settings than maybe what they normally do. And, we awarded a record high number of Master Angler pins to Youth anglers this year, and that's really exciting to see that participation," said state fisheries biologist Shawn Good.
Good says the program provides the department with information on the quality of fishing throughout the state and helps promote the many fishing opportunities that Vermont has to offer, adding that some new changes for 2026 reflect the increasing interest anglers have in pursuing a diversity of fish species.
"When we first created the program 16 years ago, we made the decision to group Redhorse Sucker into a single category, mainly so that anglers wouldn't have to try to separate the species, which admittedly can be a challenge to correctly identify," said Good. "But starting this year, all three Redhorse that are found in Vermont have their own category, and we've added information on the Master Angler page to help people learn the differences between these really interesting native fish species."
Department fisheries biologist Jud Krazter, who runs the Master Angler Program along with Good, added that this educational component of the program is one of its great benefits. "We really believe it's important for anglers to appreciate all the unique and native fish species we have in Vermont, and recognizing the three Redhorse species individually is part of that. The fact that all three readily take flies and bait and provide a fun and challenging fishing opportunity is even better!"
Good and Kratzer also note that minimum length categories for some species like Freshwater Drum and Rainbow Trout have been revised in 2026 to be more in line with "trophy sized" specimens of those species.
To see the full 2025 Vermont Master Angler Program Annual Report, visit Fish and Wildlife's website.