Hey there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for March 16, 2025.

We're looking at a partly cloudy day with highs around 42°F and light winds out of the southwest. Sunrise was at 6:59 AM and sunset will be at 6:57 PM. As for tides, we've got a high tide at 12:37 PM and a low tide at 9:30 PM, but remember, tidal changes are pretty minimal on Champlain.

Water temps are still chilly, hovering around 34-36°F. The ice is breaking up in most areas, but be careful if you're heading out - some bays still have patchy ice.

Despite the cold, fishing's been picking up lately. Anglers have been having good luck with lake trout and landlocked salmon in deeper waters. A few reports of some nice smallmouth bass coming in too, though they're still sluggish.

For lakers and salmon, try jigging with blade baits or tubes in 40-60 feet of water. The Berkeley Powerbait MaxScent Flat Worm in black has been a hot bait lately. If you're after smallies, slow down your presentation - hair jigs or drop shots with small plastics have been producing.

Pike fishing has been decent in the shallower bays where the water's warming up fastest. Large spoons or jerkbaits like the Rapala Husky Jerk have been getting attention.

Hot spots to check out: Malletts Bay for perch through the ice (be careful!), and the Inland Sea area for some good lake trout action. If you're after salmon, try trolling near the mouth of the Boquet River.

Remember to dress warm and be safe out there. The bite's only going to improve as we head into spring. Tight lines, everyone!