Vermont Law (Title 10, Section 4613) requires that a person planning to hold a fishing tournament must first obtain a permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The law defines ''tournament'' since not every fishing contest is regulated.
Vermont Statutes Annotated, Title 10, § 4613.
Fishing tournaments
a) No person or organization shall hold a fishing tournament on the waters of the state without first obtaining a permit from the department of fish and wildlife.
(b) A fishing tournament means a contest, in which anglers pay a fee to enter and in which the entrants compete for a prize based on the quality or size of the fish they catch. A tournament that limits the entrants to people below 15 years of age or a tournament held as part of a Special Olympics program shall be exempt from paying the fee required under subsection (d) of this section.
(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules that establish the procedure for implementation of this section.
(d) The commissioner shall charge a fee of $50.00 for each permit issued under this section and shall deposit the fee collected into the fish and wildlife fund.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department
Rules and Procedures for 10 VSA §4613 Fishing Tournaments
(A) The permit for a fishing tournament as required by § 4613 of this title shall be applied for no less than 30 days before the date of the tournament. The following information will be supplied to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department:
Name of Organization, contact person(s), address and phone number(s), dates and times of the tournament, body of water, location of headquarters and check stations, number of anglers expected, fish species involved, a copy of the tournament rules, name and address permit is to be mailed to.
(B) Within 30 days after the tournament ends a report of the following information shall be provided to the Department:
Total number of tickets sold, estimated number of anglers, number of anglers that registered catch, number of each species of fish registered, and the number of registered fish released alive following registration.
Tournament sponsors may be requested to cooperate further with the Department in gathering additional information.
All tournaments rules shall be structured within the laws of the State of Vermont. A fishing license is required by anyone 15 years of age and older. All legal fishing methods and limits shall apply.
10 V.S.A. § 4515.
General penaltyWhoever violates or attempts to violate a provision of this part or an order or regulation of the board or of the commissioner for which no other penalty is provided shall be fined not more than $1,000.00. (Added 1961, No. 119, § 1, May 9, 1961; amended 1985, No. 92, § 11.)
Sometimes angling clubs hold informal contests in which members compare their catch, but no entry fees are charged or prizes awarded. Such a contest is not a tournament under Vermont Law and does not require a permit.
Permit Application (DOC)
Permit Application (HTML)
Vermont Law - Title 10, Section 4613 (DOC)
Vermont Law - Title 10, Section 4613
(TXT)
Fishing District Map (PDF)
Fishing District Map (HTML)
Tournaments at State Parks (PDF)
(You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files)
If you would like to have the application packet mailed to you, please contact
VT Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-0501
(802) 241-3702