Updated on January 26th, 2020
Vergennes, Vermont
44.169417, -73.25890
Chart —Maps 13 and 17.
Getting There
Note: Everything in the section is for informational purposes only and accurate as of September 2018. Please use caution on Otter Creek, it is shallow and narrow with many hazards. We recommend sailboats go no more than 2-3 knots depending on their draft and construction. With Lake Champlain at 92 feet, we saw depths between 6 and 23 feet.
Vergennes is only accessible by boat via Otter Creek. The entrance to Otter Creek is approximately 10 miles northeast of Westport, NY and 18 miles south of Burlington, VT. The entrance can be found at the north end of Fields Bay on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain. Field’s Bay is very shallow, pay close attention to the chart and avoid the area south of the creek mouth. There is also a shoal west of the point just north of the entrance. At mean low water, Otter Creek has several powerlines that are 72 feet above water level. If you have an air draft of more than 72 feet, you will not make it all the way up.
Otter Creek is approximately 7 miles long from Lake Champlain to Vergennes. At 2-3 knots it will take 2.5-3.5 hours to complete. Don’t worry, there is plenty to see along the way! During our cruise up and back we saw countless turtles, 4 blue herons, 2 bald eagles, 3 hawks, and lots of fishermen!
We had heard stories of people following the chart and running aground and we can understand how this happens. The best advice we can give is to ignore the chart and stay in the middle. We had no issues and saw minimum depths of 6 feet. We have marked a few hazards on this map. They are marked as accurately as possible as of September 2018 but please use caution as this is not an all-inclusive list.
Staying There
As you approach Vergennes there will be two docking options. We found the south side dockage in Vergennes Falls Park was deeper. The north side at MacDonough Park did have more footage and was closer to town than Vergennes Falls Park. There is technically no charge for docking on either side, but we left the recommended $10 donation in the box. If you use the available shore power, I would recommend giving a little more.
Anchoring is also an option, however, the basin becomes shallow quickly, approximately 100 feet from the end of the southern dock is a large rock. Watch the weather forecast as swinging about may cause problems. The bottom is gravel so holding should be good.
From the docks, you can dinghy or paddle closer to the falls to get a better look. Just be careful of rocks!
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Quick Facts
- When to Avoid: Really warm days. The docking areas in Vergennes are in a basin that does not get much wind which could lead to hot nights. Also, when the lake level has dropped to abnormally low levels as the entrance to Otter Creek can become very shallow.
- Fuel: None. There is a gas station in town that you could potentially fill a jug.
- Water
- Restrooms: Porta-potties are available in the Vergennes Falls Park but not on the MacDonough side.
- Showers: None
- Dog-Friendly? With the docks located in dog-friendly parks, Vergennes gets two thumbs up for your furry first-mates.
Things to Do
Kayak on Otter Creek, and get a closer look at the falls. We also saw many people fishing from both sides of the creek.
Grab a beer at Hired Hand Brewing Company! Andy loved the Nitro Espresso Milk Stout.
Browse the shops downtown. Malabar had so many beautiful things for the home or boat.
Get a taste of Vermont at Provisionary Vermont.
Try all the flavors at Lu Lu Ice Cream. We tried earl grey, slumdog millionaire (curried peanut butter), Tennessee lullaby (brown sugar and bourbon), and orange cardamom. All of them were delicious!
Restaurants and Provisions
3 Squares Cafe–A fantastic counter-service cafe. We ate both lunch and breakfast here because it was so good! 3 Squares Cafe uses local ingredients and big flavors to make great meals. I cannot recommend their pancakes enough.
Bar Antidote–This bar/restaurant has a speakeasy feel and locally sourced ingredients. I had to order the kim-cheese fries because I can never resist a good play on words and they were delicious. I would also highly recommend the 18 hours. It was a perfectly balanced savory, sweet and creamy.