Updated on September 29th, 2020
44°37’22.9″N 73°24’27.1″W
Chart–Map 9
How to Get There
Valcour Island is on the west side of the lake south of Plattsburg, and directly west of outer Mallets Bay. The lake can get quite rough in this area if the wind blows hard from the south and to a lesser extent from the north.
Approaching Valcour Island west is relatively easy from both the north and south. The shoals well marked. Just be careful of the shoal in the smaller of the two northern harbors due south of the marker.
Waiting for Wind to Valcour Island West
Staying There
There are two main anchorages on Valcour Island’s Westside, on the north and south sides of Bluff Point.
On the north side either anchor in the small bay adjacent to the lighthouse or the slightly larger bay to the north. Anchor in 8 to 20 feet of water, avoid tucking in too close as it can get shallow at the end of both bays.
On the south side anchor in 10 to 30 feet of water south of the point, again avoid the beach areas as it gets shallow quite quickly.
Quick Facts About Valour Island West:
- When to Avoid: Avoid the north side when the wind is out of the north and vice versa.
- Services: None
- Restrooms: There are a few primitive toilets on the island. We wouldn’t recommend.
- Showers: None
- Is it dog-friendly? Yes.
Things to Do
Take the short hike up the hill to see the very cool restored lighthouse that has returned to operation. The lighthouse is open to the public on Sundays from 1-3. For more information visit the Clinton County Historical Society. In addition to the lighthouse there are seven miles of hiking trails that crisscross the entire island.
Restaurants and Provisions
None.
Hi Crew!
Is it me or is it really hard to find resources about our awesome lake? Couple of questions for Abroad Reach : what is the bottom like out at Valcor Island? How is the holding? Would you recommend this as a place for green horn sailors or seasoned salts?
Love what you are doing! And hope to be on the next boat this coming season (a Bristol 27)
best
jonathan
Hi there! That is exactly why we started these harbor posts for Lake Champlain! We hope by the end of next season to have all the major destinations up as harbor guides! As far as Valcour goes it’s definitely a place to go for a green horn! The bottom is mud and has good holding but you can contend with weeds towards the end of the season. We also recommend really backing down because occasionally the wind picks up unexpectedly, but this is true for basically the whole lake. I probably wouldn’t choose Valcour as my first ever anchorage just because it gets crowded and that adds another element. Getting there early in the day definitely helps! Good luck with your boat! If you see us out and about on Ecola be sure to say hi!