A Guide for Anglers, Boaters, and Landowners

You can help protect loons, even as you enjoy Vermont's many lakes and ponds.

Fish Loon Safe

Lead tackle and discarded monofilament lines are responsible for nearly half of loon deaths in Vermont, and since 2019, at least 10 loons have ingested lead fishing gear and died. That’s almost 3% of Vermont’s loon population.

Small lead weights can get lost when a line breaks or is cut to release a fish, and loons may then catch and swallow the injured fish and lead, or pick up weights from the lake bottom along with gravel, which they use to help digest their food.

It only takes one lead sinker or jig to kill a loon via lead poisoning. Affected loons can’t fly, may swim in uneven circles, and experience tremors, limiting its ability to avoid predators and eat. Lead-poisoned loons cannot be cured and typically die in about two weeks.

The good news is that as of January 2007, it is illegal to use and sell lead sinkers weighing one-half ounce or less in Vermont. (Larger lead sinkers more than one-half ounce and lead jigs are still legal.) Between 2008 and 2018, VCE documented a threefold decrease in loon deaths from lead tackle.

Despite being rescued on Halls Lake in 2022, this loon died shortly after being retrieved from lead poisoning. © Ian Clark

Fishing lead-free is one of the best ways anglers can help protect Vermont’s loons.

Thankfully, there are plenty of widely-available, lead-free alternatives made from non-toxic materials such as tin, bismuth, steel, tungsten, and ceramic, and the price difference is minimal.

These products are not only safer for wildlife, but they’re also safer for humans. Current research, especially with regard to children, suggests that there is no safe level of exposure to lead.

You can find an expansive list of non-lead tackle manufacturers and retailers on fishleadfree.org/vt.

VCE has been working with lake associations and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to install collection tubes across the state where you can dispose of your lead tackle. Encourage your family, friends, and local tackle shops to use and carry non-lead tackle as well.

What else can you do?

• Reel in when loons are diving nearby, since loons will take live bait and lures.
• Fish at least 200 feet away from loons or their nests.
• Pick up and dispose your monofilament line. Most monofilament line is not biodegradable (including bio-based line!) and will last hundreds of years in the environment, posing hazards to birds and other wildlife.

Boat Loon Safe

Enjoy Loons from a Distance. Bring binoculars with you. When paddling, never pursue loons for a photo or a closer look. A loon swimming away from you is a stressed loon.

Avoid Nesting Areas: Not all nest sites are signed. Be aware of potential nests in marshes and on islands; be ready to paddle slowly away from a loon sitting on shore. If a loon leaves its nest, depart the area immediately.

Slow Down: Loon chicks can be difficult to see. If boating at high speeds, note where the loon family is and avoid that area. Please observe the “no wake speed” law within 200 feet of shorelines. Wakes from boats can flood shoreline nests and dislodge eggs, while speeding boats have been known to run over loons, injuring or killing them.

Create a Safe Haven

Join the Vermont Lake Wise Program. An Agency of Natural Resources initiative, Lake Wise provides free, non-regulatory, technical assistance to lakeshore homeowners and awards lake-friendly shoreland properties, including state parks, town beaches, private homes and businesses.

Plant Native Vegetation: If you own shoreline, let your lawn grow wild to create wildlife habitat. Leave woody debris and underwater plants for aquatic insects, fish, and loons. If you need a mowed area, keep it 15-20 feet from shore.

Report Harassment: It is against the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act to harass migratory birds in the U.S. Please report any loon harassment to your local game warden or state police.