When Does Lake Champlain Freeze? Closing Dates and Ice Safety

Short answer: when Lake Champlain locks up bank to bank, it happens in winter, between January 7 and March 26 on the full record. It does not happen every year. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Burlington calls a full freeze a "closing." Its record shows a closing in 9 of the last 27 winters (2000 to 2026). Since 2000, the closing dates run from January 27 (2004) to March 8 (2005 and 2019). The most recent was February 13, 2026, the first since 2019.

Over the whole record, the earliest closing is January 7 (1868). The latest is March 26 (1894).

The bays lock up first in the winter we have a report for. The wide, deep middle of the lake is the last to go, and many winters it never does. First ice in the bays is a different thing from a closed lake, and neither one means safe ice.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

What the NWS record shows

The NWS Burlington office keeps a list called "Dates of Lake Champlain Closing." It covers 1816 to 2026, or 211 winters. We counted it ourselves on October 29, 2026.

Across all 211 winters, the list shows 163 closings and 48 winters marked "Not Closed." Winters from 1816 to 1915 that did not close: 1828, 1842 and 1850. After 1915 the open winters pile up.

Recent closings on the list:

• 2026: February 13
• 2019: March 8
• 2015: February 16
• 2014: February 12
• 2007: March 2
• 2005: March 8
• 2004: January 27
• 2003: February 15
• 2001: March 2

Every winter from 2020 to 2025 is marked "Not Closed." That is six open winters in a row before 2026.

Read the old dates with care

The NWS says the dates are for informational and non-scientific use. Many of the old ones come from newspaper clippings and local climate record books from the 1800s. Some count the lake as closed when shipping stopped or when the broad lake looked iced over from Burlington to Port Kent, NY. The NWS says it is impossible to tell whether the lake was ever 100% ice covered in many older years.

Since 2009 the NWS has used polar satellite images to judge ice cover. That call is subjective, and small gaps of open water can hide in the images. A "closed" lake can still have thin spots and open leads.

The trend

The Lake Champlain Committee wrote that when record keeping began in the 1800s, it was rare for a winter to pass without a complete freeze. The same page says a Lake Champlain Basin Program scientist expects a closing about once every four years for the next few years, and about once every ten years by around 2050. That is a projection, not a forecast for any one winter.

Bays freeze before the main lake

We found no published ice-in date series for Burlington Bay, Missisquoi Bay or Malletts Bay. We do not give you a typical date for them. What we can cite is one winter.

In 2026, local TV news reported that Burlington Bay was essentially ice free on January 23 and had very expansive ice by January 30. By then Missisquoi Bay, Malletts Bay, the Inland Sea, and the north and south parts of the main lake were already frozen over. Only the broad middle lake was open. The same report said that stretch is the hardest to freeze because it is farthest from land, windier, and deepest.

That is one winter, and it was a cold one. It is not a rule.

How the lake freezes

The local TV report above says the middle of the lake is the hardest to freeze: farthest from land, windier and deepest. Bays and the Inland Sea closed up first in 2026. We did not source anything more on how wind or thaws affect the ice, so we say no more.

Moving water makes thin ice. Vermont Fish & Wildlife warns that current from rivers, springs and narrows makes ice form unevenly. It says to be extremely careful near river mouths, points of land, bridges, islands, reefs and springs.

Early ice and late ice

Vermont Fish & Wildlife staff say early season and late season are the most dangerous times. In December 2025 they said you might have six inches in one spot, four inches nearby and two inches a short way off.

For late ice, the NWS Burlington meteorologist quoted in February 2026 warned that even a lake that is ice covered can have very thin ice. He pointed to warm spring days on the deep, broad water as the risk.

Thickness numbers we can cite

Vermont Fish & Wildlife staff say to look for at least 3 to 4 inches of black or clear ice. White ice forms when snow melts and refreezes, and they say it is about half as strong as the clear ice below.

For vehicles, the Lake Champlain Committee says ice needs to be at least 12 to 15 inches thick. It also says the lake is legally a public thoroughfare when frozen, but it is not inspected or kept as a road. There is no plowed road you can count on. Vermont Fish & Wildlife's advice is blunter: leave your car or truck on shore. Every year, it says, several motor vehicles go through the ice on Vermont lakes and people have drowned.

We did not source thickness numbers for snowmobiles or ATVs on this lake, so we give none.

Check the ice yourself

1. Carry an ice spud, chisel or auger. Test as you go, not just at the shore.
2. Measure clear ice. Do not count white ice or slush.
3. Stay off ice near river mouths, points, bridges, islands, reefs and springs.
4. Stay off if the ice has pulled away from shore. That means melting is under way.
5. Wear a flotation device. Carry hand spikes and a throw rope.
6. Tell someone where you will be and when you will be back. Do not go alone.
7. If you see open water and the wind picks up, get off.
8. Bring a charged phone.

A frozen lake on a satellite image is not a thickness reading. Ice you can see from shore can still be thin out where you plan to walk.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

FAQ

When does Lake Champlain freeze over?

When it closes, the NWS dates since 2000 run from January 27 to March 8. The most recent closing was February 13, 2026. In many winters it does not close at all.

Does Lake Champlain freeze every year?

No. The NWS list shows 48 winters marked "Not Closed" out of 211. Only 9 of the 27 winters from 2000 to 2026 closed. The lake was open every winter from 2020 to 2025.

When did Lake Champlain last freeze over?

The NWS list shows February 13, 2026. Before that, the last was March 8, 2019.

Do the bays freeze before the main lake?

Yes, in the winter we have a report for. In 2026, Missisquoi Bay, Malletts Bay and the Inland Sea were frozen by January 30 while the broad middle lake was still open. We found no multi-year bay record.

How thick does ice need to be on Lake Champlain?

Vermont Fish & Wildlife staff say at least 3 to 4 inches of black or clear ice. The Lake Champlain Committee says 12 to 15 inches for vehicles. Thickness changes over short distances. Check it yourself.