Water Sports

SWIMMING

The Mad River has lots of swimming holes, the old fashioned kind with rocks to jump from. Every one has its own character: Warren Falls for sheer beauty, the Punch Bowl for the suitless, Lareau Swimming Hole for families and kids. Best photo op is at the Waitsfield Village Bridge where local hotshots cannonball off the abutment into the river. Just don’t jump off the bridge or it will cost you. Another alternative is to tube from the Lareau Swimming Hole to the Waitsfield Village Bridge.

CANOEING & KAYAKING

The Mad River lives ups to its name during the spring when it boils with mountain snowmelt. From March to mid-June, the stretch from Lareau Swimming Hole to the Meadow Road Bridge (5 1/2 miles) and the section from below the Moretown village dam to the Ward Access (6 miles) offers excellent paddling, with stretches of class I and II fast water.
During the summer months, kayaking is still possible on sections of the Mad, but canoeists may opt for the higher flows on the nearby Winooski. One of the most enjoyable day trips, offering sections of class I and II fast water, starts below the Middlesex dam with take outs in Waterbury (5 1/2 miles) or above the Bolton dam (9 miles). Blueberry Lake in East Warren is a great place for family canoe outings.
Local outfitters offer guided trips and also rent canoes and kayaks and can advise you of current water conditions.

FLY FISHING

The icy headwaters of the Mad River south of Warrren are home to red-bellied native brookies–small but tasty. Between Warren and Waitsfield larger brookies and rainbows challenge the fly fisherman. Below Waitsfield, brookies give way to browns, while rainbows are still plentiful. The Mad River doesn’t give up its prizes easily, but those fishing the pools above and below riffles in the early morning or late evening are most likely to be rewarded. We won’t tell you where our favorite spots are, but there are local guides and outfitters who will show you.