Another Great Day on the Ice!

On February 22nd, Friends of Northern Lake Champlain teamed up with Mill River Brewing, once again, to host our annual Clean Water Ice Fishing Derby! Despite a snowy start to the morning with some less-than-ideal weather, the skies cleared as the day went on and it turned into a beautiful afternoon on the ice. Around 70 fishermen joined us for the day, making for a great turnout and a lot of fun out on the bay.

Mill River Brewing generously hosted the event and kept everyone warm and well fed with a hearty lunch of pulled pork, mac and cheese, and chili. A big thank you also goes to Sean and Julie for helping run the weigh station and keep track of the day’s catches.

Martin’s General Store in Highgate was another key partner in making the derby possible. Gilbert started work around 3AM to plow a road out onto the ice, provided fishing shanties for participants, and hosted the trophy and prize station at their storefront!

Even with a snowy start to the morning, the day turned into a great opportunity for people to get outside, enjoy the lake, and come together around a shared goal of protecting clean water in northern Lake Champlain. We’re grateful to everyone who braved the weather, helped organize the event, and joined us on the ice to make this year’s derby another memorable one.