# Lake Champlain Fishing Report - November 27, 2025

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure coming to you on this crisp Thursday morning here on Lake Champlain. We're deep in the fall migration phase right now, and the fishing's been interesting to say the least.

Let's talk conditions first. We're looking at late November, which means we're in that third phase of fall bass movement—the late migration. The water temperature's dropped significantly, and the bass are transitioning out to their winter holding patterns. That's typical for this time of year around the lake, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

Over on the northern waters of Lake Champlain, we've had some solid action recently. Emil Wagner just took home his first Bassmaster victory earlier this year on the lake, bringing in nearly 70 pounds total, which tells you there's quality fish in these waters. The lake's been producing both largemouth and smallmouth, and the bite's been respectable for anglers willing to put in the work.

Here's what's working right now: baitfish matching is absolutely critical this time of year. Focus on lures that mimic the natural forage—shad patterns in whites and naturals are your best bet. Swimbaits are producing, especially in the 4-6 inch range. If you're looking to flip and pitch in shallower cover, green pumpkin colored soft plastics with black accents are solid choices. Don't overlook vibrating jigs and crankbaits either—they're generating steady action when you work them over structure.

For hot spots, I'd suggest working the creek arms and shallow shoals where baitfish are congregating. Those transition areas between deeper water and shallower flats are holding fish right now. Also, don't sleep on brush piles and timber if you can find them—bass are using that cover as they prepare for deeper winter patterns.

Water levels vary depending on where you're fishing around the lake, so check local conditions before heading out.

The bite's been best during mid-morning and early afternoon hours when we get whatever sun we can grab this time of year.

Thanks for tuning in, folks! Make sure you subscribe for more Lake Champlain fishing intel as the season progresses.

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Artificial Lure here, bringing you your November 26th Lake Champlain fishing report—the day after some rowdy winds shut down recent tournament action. Out on the big water, conditions have settled from yesterday’s gusty south winds that canceled day three of the Toyota Series up around Plattsburgh. Though the lake’s famous chop added a challenge, anglers showed big numbers for both smallmouth and largemouth in the prior event, with Tucker Smith taking the top spot after landing over 40 pounds of smallmouth bass in just two days, followed closely by Ethan Fields and Emil Wagner, each weighing nearly 40 pounds too. That’s a sign the bite remains hot when you can get out and the wind’s not howling.

Weather right now is brisk and late-autumn cool, with temps around 38°F at dawn and climbing toward the mid-40s later this afternoon. Patchy clouds are moving through, so expect a mix of sun and gray. There are no tides in Champlain, being a freshwater lake, but keep in mind the wind can affect water levels, clarity, and boat control, especially on open stretches. Sunrise hit at 6:58 AM, and sunset will be at 4:19 PM—a short window, so plan your outing carefully and fish prime times.

Post-spawn smallmouth have been pushing onto flats and edges, chasing alewives, and feeding up before winter. Largemouth are holed up in thicker structure and deeper water as the vegetation dies back. Reports out of the central and south basin say the bite’s best early morning, especially in that first hour of daylight.

Best lures right now—anglers are catching on classic northern plastics and finesse rigs. The Ned rig is king for smallmouth: 5-inch Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms on 1/4-ounce Picasso jigheads, and Yamamoto Ned Senkos with Picasso Rhino Ned Heads get the job done across 15-50 feet of water. Drop-shot rigs with Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worms are also producing well, especially in goby or smelt colors. For largemouth, Texas-rigged Damiki Stingers (watermelon candy or green pumpkin) are deadly, and flipping perch-colored Yamamoto Senkos or a Rapala OG Slim crankbait in Helsinki Shad will get reaction bites as the water cools. If you want to go bigger, toss a brown SPRO frog across thick mat edges in the southern Ticonderoga area—serious largemouth have been tearing these up right until freeze-up.

As for bait, stick to soft plastics shaped like baitfish or craws for best results. The fish are feeding up ahead of ice—minnow imitations are hot. Some anglers are finding success with natural shiners if you’re using live bait, but plastics remain the top ticket.

Recent catch reports: Over 1,000 scorable smallmouth and 900+ largemouth posted in the last major event, with most tournament anglers easily filling limits. Lots of chunky smallmouth caught from midlake flats, edges, and the basin, especially south of the Inland Sea. Largemouth are biting best from weedbeds and dock structure in the southern bays.

Local hot spots:
• The midlake flats near South Hero and North Hero Islands—numbers and quality smallmouth moving up to feed.
• Ticonderoga marshes and the mouths of Otter Creek for largemouth—target deeper holes and remaining weed patches.
• Malletts Bay, early mornings, for mixed bags and a shot at some trophy bronzebacks.

If you’re headed out today, dress warm, mind the daylight, and focus your effort close to structure and bait concentrations. The bite’s good if you get on it early!

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It’s Artificial Lure here, bringing you your November 25th Lake Champlain fishing report from the docks up north to the bays down south. If you headed out early today, you were greeted with a classic late-autumn chill—temps in the upper 30s at sunrise, working into the low 40s as the sun climbs higher. Winds are light out of the west, around 6-8 mph, and the skies are mostly clear, though some high clouds are drifting through. NOAA’s forecast points to a high near 45 by late afternoon, so dress in layers if you’re heading out.

Sunrise came at 6:59 AM and sunset is expected right around 4:18 PM, so your best window is midday when the water warms a few degrees and the fish really kick on. Lake Champlain doesn’t have a true tidal swing like a coastal estuary, so you can focus more on those wind-driven currents and the micro-eddies around reefs and points.

Bass anglers are still dialing in on the tail end of the fall feed. The Major League Fishing Toyota Series just wrapped a hard-fought event on Lake Champlain a couple of weeks back, and the reports are that both post-spawn and feeding smallmouth are hanging on flats and edges, from 8 out to 20 feet of water. Classic spots like Malletts Bay and the Alburg Passage are still producing, especially where schools of alewives are holding. Tucker Smith and Ethan Fields both loaded up using minnow imitations—think 5-inch Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms on 1/4 and 3/16-ounce heads, or Deps Sakamata Shads paired with Tungsten jig heads.

For largemouth, the southern lake is your play. The grass beds near Ticonderoga and bridge rockpiles are holding fish. Glide baits mimicking alewife, and jerkbaits worked over deep grass, have been hot according to recent tournament coverage. If you’re flipping the reeds, a 6th Sense Bongo or similar compact creature bait with a 7/16-ounce weight gets the nod, especially once the sun’s up and the water’s got some warmth.

As for today’s bite: fish are feeding hard on bait schools, especially perch and alewives. Smallmouth are coughing up both at the boat—local anglers are reporting some 4-pounders spitting up a perch and an alewife in the same breath. Match the hatch with soft plastic minnows, Ned rigs, and vertical presentations if you’re seeing marks mid-column. If you prefer a moving bait, a Berkley J-Walker or Strike King Sexy Dawg on topwater is sparking explosive strikes during the rare calm spell midday or towards evening.

Recent catches have been impressive for November—19–21 pound bags of mixed smallies and largemouth in the last major tournament, with single fish up to 5 pounds from Malletts and mid-lake offshore humps. Numbers remain strong around secondary points in 8-12 feet of water, especially those with good grass or rock. The Inland Sea is also producing well, with bonus fish showing up along boulder fields and isolated rock.

For bait, if you’re not throwing artificials, live shiners or jumbo minnows fished just off the bottom are still a ticket for smallmouth, and big nightcrawlers will get you into mixed bags including some bonus perch and even the odd picky lake trout.

If you’re trying new spots, here’s a couple hot ones: the grass beds of St. Albans Bay for numbers, and the transition rocks of Providence Island out towards Barbers Point for that shot at a trophy smallie. Don’t overlook the eddies on the New York side south of Plattsburgh—those current seams have been home to some fat fish lately.

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Artificial Lure reporting on the bite from Lake Champlain this chilly Monday, November 24th, 2025.

You woke up to a brisk late-fall morning in the Champlain Valley. Weather’s holding steady with highs topping out in the low 40s, light west winds, and dense morning fog patchy in the valleys. Clouds are fighting for space, but there’s promise of some afternoon sun. Sunrise hit around 7:05 AM and we’ll see the sun drop just before 4:19 PM. Water temps are skimming the low 40s, right on the knife-edge between open water and ice-up. No tides here—Champlain’s a freshwater beauty, so it’s all wind and barometric pressure, not lunar swings.

Fish are shifting gears. Locals and tourney pros alike have been finding **smallmouth bass** still feeding along deeper rock piles and scattered offshore humps. According to Major League Fishing, smallmouth dominated the recent circuit, with over 64 pounds caught in three days by pros like Cortiana. **Ned rigs, finesse jigs, and compact swimbaits** hammered the fish—green pumpkin was a MVP color, with silver flash working well as the light hit the waves. Some are dragging tubes in goby and smoke hues, and drop-shotting natural colors over 20-35ft depths.

**Largemouth bass** have moved off most weed lines but are hanging tight in lingering cabbage and isolated grass clumps, especially near sheltered bays in the southern end. Flipping a 1/2 oz black/blue jig or a slow-rolled spinnerbait has drawn strikes, best worked in mid-morning as the water warms up just a hair. A local angler at North Hero had a four-bass morning with a white Chatterbait and a Z-Man Shad trailer working through dying weed edges.

**Northern pike** bite has picked up with water cooling. The classic red and white Daredevil and suspending jerkbaits are scoring, and a few trophy fish were reported caught off Missisquoi Bay and South Hero using large sucker minnows beneath slip bobbers. For live bait, **big shiners or suckers** are the ticket—especially in deeper cuts and behind points where baitfish school.

Walleye chasers are tight-lipped, but word in Willsboro Bay is good action at dusk, working blade baits and jigging Rapalas in 20–30ft right before sunset, especially on rocky drop-offs. Bigger fish are holding tight to the bottom in current seams. Drop ‘em slow, get a feel for that gentle pick-up and don’t be afraid to downsize if you’re getting short strikes.

Crappie have staged up in marinas and channels for the winter pattern—small plastics in chartreuse and pink, tipped with waxies, fished under floats at 8–12ft near structure. Catches are good in the shallower coves on the New York side.

If you’re hunting **hot spots** today:
- Hit **Valcour Island** for smallmouth—the east-facing drop-offs are loaded.
- **Missisquoi Bay** remains reliable for big pike, more so on the north end where the bait’s thick.
- Southern **Willsboro Bay** for walleye at sunset. Get there early and fish till your guides freeze up.
- For easy access, the marina mouth at **Plattsburgh** sees mixed bags—bass, pike, and the odd crappie.

Top lures today:
- Ned rig in green pumpkin, finesse jigs, drop-shot soft plastics for bass.
- Black/blue flipping jigs and white spinnerbaits for largemouth.
- Red/white spoons, suspending jerkbaits for pike.
- Blade baits, jigging Rapalas for walleye.
- Small chartreuse plastics, wax worms for crappie.

Best bait:
- Sucker minnows and large shiners for pike.
- Minnows or nightcrawlers for walleye.
- Wax worms for crappie.

That’s your Lake Champlain fishing report for November 24th, 2025. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe so you never miss the bite.

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Friday, November 21, 2025. The late November chill has settled in, and you can feel winter nipping at your casting hand. We’ve got some crisp air and classic autumn skies—weather this morning sits in the high 30s, maybe brushing into the low 40s by afternoon, with a steady northwest breeze rattling the leafless branches. Expect overcast to partly cloudy conditions most of the day, so layer up. Sunrise was 6:58 AM and sunset’s clocking in early at 4:22 PM—your fishing window is tightening as we get deeper into fall.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife reports are showing consistent coldwater fishing action. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are schooling up, feeding hard ahead of freeze-up. Anglers this week pulled solid smallmouth—several in the 3 to 4 pound class, with a 5.2 reported from the Inland Sea on Tuesday. Largemouth are still showing up in sheltered bays; expect those fish to hammer a slow presentation. Northern pike activity is slower, but a handful of fat 30-inchers were landed outside Missisquoi. The salmon run is winding down but a few late-chrome landlocks are still biting below Winooski and the Lamoille.

Your best bet for lures: In these temps, go subtle and natural. According to the Lake Champlain Fishing Report Today podcast, soft plastics like green pumpkin tubes and small swimbaits are the ticket. Ned rigs in browns or smoke colors are hot right now, especially bounced off rock piles in 10 to 20 feet. For reaction bites, a 3/8-ounce chatterbait in shad or perch, slow-rolled off the weed edge, is getting results. If you’re into drop-shotting, minnows and finesse worms are pulling up mixed sizes on deeper points.

Live bait anglers are seeing steady action with shiners and small suckers fished right off the bottom but don’t sleep on a blade bait jigged slow mid-lake—stripers and a couple of late-season trout have come up on that bite.

Today’s lake is running calm with a little wind chop on the main channel—fish the lee sides and south-facing rock to find warmer water. Tidal influence is negligible here on Champlain, but water levels are down a bit, so be careful around the ramps.

Hot spots this week:
- The Inland Sea’s just north of North Hero Bridge is producing steady smallmouth and the occasional bonus walleye.
- The weed edge off St. Albans Bay is holding late largemouth and plenty of panfish.
- For river mouth salmon, try the pool below the Winooski where flows are up slightly from this week’s rain.

As we move toward Thanksgiving, expect fish to get sluggish—downsize, slow down, and focus on vertical presentations midday. Early morning and last light remain peak times.

Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Champlain rundown. Make sure you subscribe for tomorrow’s conditions and weekly hot spots—don’t miss a chance to land your personal best before ice-up.

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Artificial Lure here, bringing you the latest Lake Champlain fishing report for Thursday, November 20, 2025.

**Weather is crisp and classic for late fall in the Champlain Valley:** temperatures at sunrise hovered in the low 30s (°F), climbing just into the 40s by midday under overcast skies with a stiff north breeze. Local reports from Vermont Fish & Wildlife suggest the surface water’s starting the seasonal cool-down, clarity remains good, and recent, light rains haven’t muddied things up much.

**Sunrise hit at 6:51 AM with sunset set for 4:23 PM, so you’re working with a narrow bite window—get out early or stay tight for that golden-hour magic.**

There’s no tidal influence here—Champlain’s a lake, but the wind can stack water up along shorelines and in bays, potentially moving bait and concentrating fish.

**Fish activity has been solid, especially for smallmouth and a mix of post-spawn largemouth, with a few scattered bonus fish.** According to the Toyota Series recap from just nine days ago, anglers were hauling in impressive smallmouth catches, often in the 3.5 to 4.5-pound range, with the occasional 5-pounder showing up for the camera. More than one local guide called the bite “incredible for November,” with plenty of doubles and sustained action through the day.

**Best baits and techniques right now:**
- **Minnow-style plastics**—think Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms, Deps Sakamata Shad, Berkley MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad—on 3/16 to 5/16 oz jigheads are absolutely dominating for both smallies and largemouth. Anglers are catching good numbers in 10–25 feet, focusing on breaks, secondary points, and the edge of grass beds.
- **Ned rigs** with a small stickworm (Yamamoto Ned Senko, Keitech Easy Shiner) have been clutch when the bite slows.
- **Topwater**, like the Berkley J-Walker or even a Strike King Sexy Dawg, is still triggering aggressive strikes midday, especially when the wind calms.
- If you’re hunting the last of the largemouth, a slow-rolled **glide bait** or jerkbait on deep grass (think War Panda Nug or 6th Sense Ozzie) is turning up a few big green ones.
- For multispecies action, don’t overlook a drop-shot with a small shiner imitation—bonus perch and even the odd lake trout can show up.

**Recent catches**: Instagram user @vtfishandwildlife shared a shot yesterday of a Vermont Master Angler smallmouth caught while targeting lake trout, a classic November Champlain surprise. Multi-species catches are common, according to local posts—expect bonus pike, perch, and an occasional bruiser laker alongside your bass.

**Hot spots this week:**
- **Malletts Bay**—Still loaded with smallmouth chasing bait, especially at the breaks and near secondary points in 10–12 feet.
- **Inland Sea**—Active schools of smallmouth are tracking alewives, especially on the stair-step drop-offs and around isolated boulders.
- **Ti area (Ticonderoga)**—The deep grass is holding both largemouth and random smallmouth; worth the run for bonus green bass.
- **South Hero and around the causeways**—Current seams and pinch points are concentrating feeding fish; try tossing a minnow bait alongside the structure for quick action. Roland Martin swears by adding scent to your minnow baits here for better hold and hookup rates.

**Bait** shops are still stocking shiners if you’re after panfish or want to temp an old-school walleye or pike. A slip bobber and live shiner can produce when artificials won’t.

That’s your report for this brisk Champlain Thursday—bundle up, fish smart, and don’t forget to net your trophy before the ice locks us out!

Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s local fishing update. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a hot bite or breaking news from Lake Champlain! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Morning’s crisp out here on Lake Champlain, with the sun peeking over the Adirondacks at 7:05 AM and setting tonight at 4:35 PM. The wind’s light, mostly out of the northwest, keeping things calm for casting. Water temps are hovering in the mid-40s, and the lake’s clarity is decent, though a bit stained from the recent rains. Tides at Woodward’s Landing are running mild today, with a high at 10:17 AM and a low at 4:32 PM, so the flow’s gentle—nothing to throw off your drift.

Folks are still catching walleye and smallmouth bass, with some reports of decent action near the shallows and along the rocky points. The bite’s been strongest early and late, with walleye hitting minnows and small jigs tipped with nightcrawlers. Smallmouth are chasing crankbaits and tube jigs, especially in the 10- to 15-foot range. There’s been a few northern pike caught trolling spoons near the weed edges, and a handful of lake trout are being pulled up from deeper holes.

The best lures right now are 1/4-ounce white or chartreuse jigs for walleye, and 3- to 4-inch crankbaits in shad or crawfish patterns for smallmouth. For bait, minnows and nightcrawlers are still the go-to, but some are having luck with soft plastics rigged wacky style. If you’re trolling, try a silver or gold spoon for pike and trout.

Hot spots to check out: The flats near Westport are producing walleye and smallmouth, and the rocky points around Grand Isle are holding smallmouth and the occasional pike. For trout, try the deeper holes near the center of the lake.

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Artificial Lure here with your Tuesday, November 18th Lake Champlain report—local, boots-on-the-dock style, right on time for that crisp late fall bite.

First off, Mother Nature’s dealing out a proper November hand: expect mixed snow and rain, brisk southwest winds, and highs barely climbing out of the low 40s. Layer up, dust off your rain gear, and watch your footing—those docks are slick. Water temps are dipping into the low 50s inshore, and the main basin is cooling fast, driving big fish into predictable late fall patterns. Sunrise hit at 6:39 this morning, and you’ll want to pack it in by 4:33 this afternoon—just before that early sunset nails the door shut on what light we’ve got left.

Lake Champlain doesn’t have true tides, but it sure acts up with the wind. Today’s wind will push “seiche” surges along the open lake, making windblown points and protected coves your best bets. That chop moves bait, and when the bait moves—so do the bass, walleye, and the odd late-run pike. If you’re after calmer conditions and active fish, focus on west-shore coves or the big southern bays where the wind loses its teeth.

Let’s talk action. The late fall transition is in full swing and both smallmouth and largemouth are feeding up. According to the Lake Champlain Fishing Report Today podcast, Sunday and Monday saw an uptick in fish activity as colder fronts rolled in, with tournament weigh-ins topping out at 22-pound bags and four-pound smallmouth making regular appearances around Colchester Causeway, Valcour Island, and Cumberland Bay. North of the bridge is still the steadiest producer, with several five-pound “bronze” caught in the Phoenix Bass League event just yesterday.

Smallies are wolfpacking rock drops and channel ledges in 20–35 feet, while green largemouth are holding on the last of the healthy weedbeds. Eater-sized walleyes (15–18 inches) are showing tight to points in the Inland Sea and Missisquoi Bay, and panfish chasers are reporting nice yellow perch and black crappie from Arnold Bay, the Gut, and King Bay—small jigs or live minnows are the play there.

For baits and lures, keep it classic but tailor to the conditions. Live shiners and fathead minnows on slip bobber rigs are gold when the bite turns wary, especially on those rare calm patches. If you’re casting artificials, the Major League Fishing results show a mix of:

- Shallow Shad Raps in natural shiner and smelt
- Soft jerkbaits in white, chartreuse, or green pumpkin
- Alabama Rigs with small swimbaits
- Ned rigs and tube jigs for finesse
- Drop-shotted Berkley MaxScent Flat Worms, goby and perch patterns
- For that midday warm snap, don’t rule out a popper or topwater walk-the-dog style plug

If you’re chunking hardware for largemouth, Greenfish Tackle BLD paired with a Zoom bait (as seen at last week’s Champlain tournament) is tough to beat.

Today’s HOT SPOTS: the north end—King Bay, the Gut, and Colchester Causeway for structure-chasing smallies; Cumberland Bay for steady action on the drops; and for panfish, hit Arnold Bay and the north inland stretches. Don’t overlook the southern bays, especially post-frontal when the bait’s thick and walleye prowl the breaks.

A few quick reminders: the water’s clear, and the levels are low—use lighter line and stealthy presentations. Dead bait is off-limits until December where Québec regs apply, so stick to live offerings. And if you’re motoring, keep a sharp eye—shallow reefs and hazards are close to the surface this time of year.

That’s your Lake Champlain bite for November 18th—bundle up, time your trips for the midday “better plus” feeding window (11 A.M. to 1 P.M. was hot the past few days), and fish smart around that wind-driven chop.

Thanks for tuning in—and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a Lake Champlain update. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.

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Artificial Lure here, checking in with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Monday, November 17th, 2025. Today we’re waking up to crisp fall air, with sunrise at 6:53 AM and sunset around 4:24 PM. The mercury’s hovering in the low 30s early and is expected to rise into the 40s by noon. Skies are mainly clear, but bundle up as north winds bring a steady chill off the water. There’s no tidal influence on Champlain—it’s a freshwater lake—but wind can push surface currents, so sheltered coves or lee sides will fish calmer.

Overnight, surface temps reportedly dipped into the 40s, and the shallows are cooling fast. This late-fall transition puts most fish on the move. According to the Lake Champlain Fishing Report Today on Spreaker, bass and trout are key targets right now. Smallmouth are stacking on rocky points, drops, and humps, especially near the mouths of creeks where bait is still active. Largemouth have slid deeper—try channel edges and green weed beds and don’t overlook marinas for stacked schools.

Recent Derby results and angler buzz point to smallmouth as the big producers. Just this weekend, boaters landed upwards of 20 pounds across three days, pulling in 60-plus fish per crew, many between 2 and 4 pounds. Trout catches are decent, with some lake trout in deeper holes and a few Atlantic salmon showing around the Inland Sea. Perch are biting well near South Hero and Missisquoi Bay; Burlington waterfront anglers have had good luck with crappie.

On lures, match the hatch! Mike Iaconelli’s advice always rings true—late season is all about mimicking baitfish. Productive choices this week include swimbaits like the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flatnose Minnow, finesse tubes in natural colors, and Ned rigs tipped with Z-Man TRD worms. Marabou jigs in black or olive have fooled cruising smallmouth, while drop-shot rigs with straight-tail worms (Morning Dawn color from Googan Baits gets results in clear water) are deadly when fish run deep. For largemouth, try a Texas-rigged Zoom UltraVibe Speed Craw or a 1/2-ounce Picasso Old School Dock Rocket around remaining weed beds.

Live bait’s still catching: medium shiners and fathead minnows are top picks, fished on slip bobbers for perch or slow-trolled on bottom for trout. Berkley PowerBait sticks and salted shiners are solid choices if you can’t wrangle up fresh bait.

Hot spots? The Inland Sea remains reliable for multi-species action—try the flats off North Hero and the rock piles near Butler Island. Wilcox Dock in Burlington is producing afternoons, especially for perch and crappie. Thompson’s Point south of Charlotte is an excellent bet for smallmouth, while Malletts Bay is drawing trout and bass chasers with steady catches.

As the bite shifts with colder water, keep your retrieve slow. Fish are still feeding up before winter but they’re less aggressive, so work jigs and rigs gently; let them sit longer between pops. Watch for pockets of bait—if you see casters or shad pushed up, work that area hard.

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Artificial Lure bringing you the latest from Lake Champlain on this brisk Sunday, November 16th, 2025. The mercury’s hugging the low 30s at dawn and the water’s cold—mid to upper 40s, typical for this late fall stretch. Sunrise popped at 6:48 AM; sunset will close the book tonight at 4:27 PM, so you’ve got a tight window to work those prime bites.

Wind’s calm this morning, but expect a light northwest breeze picking up midday and pushing chillier air and a little chop onto open bays. Skies started clear, but clouds will thicken up as the day goes on—classic November. No tidal swings to worry about on Champlain, but water levels are lowside after a dry fall.

It’s late-fall transition, and the fishing’s pure classic—it’s all about the bite window and finding ‘em grouped up. Reports this weekend show good numbers of both **smallmouth and largemouth bass**. The smallies are holding tight to deeper rocks and drop-offs from 18 to 30 feet—Colchester Reef, The Four Brothers, and the north side of Juniper all turned out some solid brownbacks up to 4 pounds yesterday, local guides say. Largemouth action’s slower but steady in the shallower milfoil edges where streams dump in—Missisquoi and the Inland Sea coves still put up some chunky green fish.

**Best lures right now?** Finesse is king. Ned rigs in green pumpkin or black-blue, hair jigs, and drop-shot rigs with small shad imitations have produced when fished just off the bottom with long pauses—let the cold water do the work. Don’t sleep on spybaits either: pros like Aaron Martens have shown they’ll get bit when smallies are finicky, especially in the clearer stretches around The Gut and Split Rock. Sharp folk are still getting reaction strikes on flat-sided crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits in crawdad or silver-blue patterns, especially as that afternoon sun warms mid-depths—Major League Fishing reports those techniques pulling in bonus fish all week.

For those chasing walleye, low-light is still prime. Vertical jigging blade baits or live minnows along the outer bends of the Inland Sea or the deep channel edges out of Plattsburgh has stuck a few eaters. Not hot and heavy, but steady—stick with it pre-dawn or dusk when the bigger females cruise up.

Recent catches this week have trended moderate: expect a half dozen decent bass in three hours if you stick to the structure and hit the right window, with perch and pike still popping up near weedbeds for those using shiners or small spoons. Salmon action remains light, but one lucky angler reported a 6-pounder off Thompson’s Point dragging a flutter spoon, so don’t be afraid to swing for the fences.

Hot spots today:
- **Colchester Reef**: Smallmouth stacking deep, classic late-fall spot.
- **Missisquoi Bay**: Shallow edges for late-lingering largemouth and even the occasional bonus northern pike.

Best bait: For finesse, stick with small soft plastics and hair jigs; for live bait, minnows on slip bobbers are putting up numbers if you slow down.

That wraps the Lake Champlain scoop for November 16th. Thanks for tuning in and be sure to subscribe so you never miss out on what’s biting. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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