A hillside of maples is nice. The same hillside doubled on still water is the photo people actually stop the car for. Vermont has plenty of both, and the lakes tend to get skipped in favor of the mountain roads. Here's where to find the color on all six of ours.
Lake Willoughby
This one's the showstopper. Willoughby sits in a narrow gap between Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor — steep cliffs rising straight up on both sides of the water, more like a Norwegian fjord than a typical New England lake. When the maples on those cliffs turn, the color runs straight down into the water on either side of you. Late September through the first week of October is usually the window.
Lake Bomoseen
Bomoseen is the easy one — the largest lake entirely in Vermont, ringed by low, rolling hills, with Bomoseen State Park and Crystal Beach both giving you shoreline access without a boat. You can get the reflection shot from a five-minute walk off the parking lot, which matters if you're dragging kids along for the drive.
Lake Champlain
Champlain does foliage differently — it's less about one perfect reflection and more about scale. The Adirondack Mountains sit across the water as a second backdrop, so you get color on your side and mountains on theirs. Burlington's waterfront and the Champlain Islands are the least-effort ways to see it.
Lake Dunmore
Dunmore's for people who'd rather hike than drive. It sits right at the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest, so the trails around it climb just high enough to give you a canopy view down onto the lake — foliage from above instead of at eye level.
Lake Memphremagog
Memphremagog stretches north across the Quebec border and gets a fraction of Champlain's visitors despite being just as good-looking. Prouty Beach is a quiet, uncrowded place to sit and watch the color come in, if you're trying to avoid a crowd more than find one.
Lake St. Catherine
The smallest and quietest of the six, with a state park right on the eastern shore. Less of a destination, more of a “we found this and it was empty” kind of spot — which is its own kind of good.
Each of these six lakes has its own piece in the Vermont Lake Collection — art and apparel made by someone who actually knows them past the postcard.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does fall foliage peak in Vermont?
Typically late September through mid-October, with higher elevations and the Northeast Kingdom (where Willoughby and Memphremagog sit) turning earlier than the lower Champlain Valley.
Which Vermont lake has the best fall foliage?
Lake Willoughby is usually considered the most dramatic, thanks to the cliffs on both sides, but Lake Champlain gives you the widest views if you want mountains in the background too.
Can you see fall foliage from Lake Champlain without a boat?
Yes — Burlington's waterfront and the Champlain Islands both give shoreline views without needing to get on the water.