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Lake Champlain Fishing Report: Trout, Bass, and Walleye Bonanza on the Horizon
Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Champlain fishing report for May 21, 2025. We’re waking up to another stellar day on the lake. Sunrise hit at 5:24 AM and sunset is coming up at 8:20 PM, so there’s plenty of light to get out and make the most of it. Weather start is cool in the upper 40s but we’re looking at a comfortable climb into the mid 60s by mid-afternoon, with just a slight southerly breeze to keep things fresh. Skies are mostly clear, making for perfect casting conditions.
First off, Lake Champlain is not a tidal lake, so you don’t need to worry about moving tides. Water clarity remains good with visibility running 6 to 12 feet in most areas. Recent rainfall has stained a few back bays but the main lake is looking clear and open for business.
Fishing action this week has been tremendous. Over the past few days, anglers have been hammering lake trout—just last week, one boat recorded landing over 30 lake trout in a four-hour run, with many native fish in the mix. These lakers have been running between 5 and 15 pounds and up to nearly 60 inches long. Soft plastics have been the top producer for these trout, either jigged or on a slow retrieve near deeper structure and dropoffs. If you’re targeting lakers, try white or chartreuse paddletails or tube jigs in 30 to 60 feet of water[1].
Bass anglers are having a field day. Smallmouth are surging and holding on rocky flats, gravel points, and dock edges. The best success has been with drop shots, Texas rigs, and bladed jigs like Chatterbaits. For largemouth, the shallow weeds are waking up, and swim jigs or a classic Rat-L-Trap have both produced big bites, including a nearly eight-pound specimen caught earlier this week. Early morning and evening continue to be prime for walleye, with jerkbaits and live minnows getting it done[3][5].
Hot spots worth checking today include the rocky points off Valcour Island for smallmouth and the deeper channels near Thompson’s Point for lake trout. For largemouth, hit the weedy shallows around Sand Bar and Missisquoi Bay.
Best baits right now include soft plastics in natural and bright colors for trout, bladed jigs and drop shots for bass, and live shiners or nightcrawlers for walleye. If you’re trolling, stick with stickbaits or spoons in silver and blue patterns.
The lake is buzzing with activity, the fish are biting hard, and the weather is about perfect. Get out, enjoy it, and tight lines.
First off, Lake Champlain is not a tidal lake, so you don’t need to worry about moving tides. Water clarity remains good with visibility running 6 to 12 feet in most areas. Recent rainfall has stained a few back bays but the main lake is looking clear and open for business.
Fishing action this week has been tremendous. Over the past few days, anglers have been hammering lake trout—just last week, one boat recorded landing over 30 lake trout in a four-hour run, with many native fish in the mix. These lakers have been running between 5 and 15 pounds and up to nearly 60 inches long. Soft plastics have been the top producer for these trout, either jigged or on a slow retrieve near deeper structure and dropoffs. If you’re targeting lakers, try white or chartreuse paddletails or tube jigs in 30 to 60 feet of water[1].
Bass anglers are having a field day. Smallmouth are surging and holding on rocky flats, gravel points, and dock edges. The best success has been with drop shots, Texas rigs, and bladed jigs like Chatterbaits. For largemouth, the shallow weeds are waking up, and swim jigs or a classic Rat-L-Trap have both produced big bites, including a nearly eight-pound specimen caught earlier this week. Early morning and evening continue to be prime for walleye, with jerkbaits and live minnows getting it done[3][5].
Hot spots worth checking today include the rocky points off Valcour Island for smallmouth and the deeper channels near Thompson’s Point for lake trout. For largemouth, hit the weedy shallows around Sand Bar and Missisquoi Bay.
Best baits right now include soft plastics in natural and bright colors for trout, bladed jigs and drop shots for bass, and live shiners or nightcrawlers for walleye. If you’re trolling, stick with stickbaits or spoons in silver and blue patterns.
The lake is buzzing with activity, the fish are biting hard, and the weather is about perfect. Get out, enjoy it, and tight lines.
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By Quiet. PleaseGood morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Champlain fishing report for May 21, 2025. We’re waking up to another stellar day on the lake. Sunrise hit at 5:24 AM and sunset is coming up at 8:20 PM, so there’s plenty of light to get out and make the most of it. Weather start is cool in the upper 40s but we’re looking at a comfortable climb into the mid 60s by mid-afternoon, with just a slight southerly breeze to keep things fresh. Skies are mostly clear, making for perfect casting conditions.
First off, Lake Champlain is not a tidal lake, so you don’t need to worry about moving tides. Water clarity remains good with visibility running 6 to 12 feet in most areas. Recent rainfall has stained a few back bays but the main lake is looking clear and open for business.
Fishing action this week has been tremendous. Over the past few days, anglers have been hammering lake trout—just last week, one boat recorded landing over 30 lake trout in a four-hour run, with many native fish in the mix. These lakers have been running between 5 and 15 pounds and up to nearly 60 inches long. Soft plastics have been the top producer for these trout, either jigged or on a slow retrieve near deeper structure and dropoffs. If you’re targeting lakers, try white or chartreuse paddletails or tube jigs in 30 to 60 feet of water[1].
Bass anglers are having a field day. Smallmouth are surging and holding on rocky flats, gravel points, and dock edges. The best success has been with drop shots, Texas rigs, and bladed jigs like Chatterbaits. For largemouth, the shallow weeds are waking up, and swim jigs or a classic Rat-L-Trap have both produced big bites, including a nearly eight-pound specimen caught earlier this week. Early morning and evening continue to be prime for walleye, with jerkbaits and live minnows getting it done[3][5].
Hot spots worth checking today include the rocky points off Valcour Island for smallmouth and the deeper channels near Thompson’s Point for lake trout. For largemouth, hit the weedy shallows around Sand Bar and Missisquoi Bay.
Best baits right now include soft plastics in natural and bright colors for trout, bladed jigs and drop shots for bass, and live shiners or nightcrawlers for walleye. If you’re trolling, stick with stickbaits or spoons in silver and blue patterns.
The lake is buzzing with activity, the fish are biting hard, and the weather is about perfect. Get out, enjoy it, and tight lines.
First off, Lake Champlain is not a tidal lake, so you don’t need to worry about moving tides. Water clarity remains good with visibility running 6 to 12 feet in most areas. Recent rainfall has stained a few back bays but the main lake is looking clear and open for business.
Fishing action this week has been tremendous. Over the past few days, anglers have been hammering lake trout—just last week, one boat recorded landing over 30 lake trout in a four-hour run, with many native fish in the mix. These lakers have been running between 5 and 15 pounds and up to nearly 60 inches long. Soft plastics have been the top producer for these trout, either jigged or on a slow retrieve near deeper structure and dropoffs. If you’re targeting lakers, try white or chartreuse paddletails or tube jigs in 30 to 60 feet of water[1].
Bass anglers are having a field day. Smallmouth are surging and holding on rocky flats, gravel points, and dock edges. The best success has been with drop shots, Texas rigs, and bladed jigs like Chatterbaits. For largemouth, the shallow weeds are waking up, and swim jigs or a classic Rat-L-Trap have both produced big bites, including a nearly eight-pound specimen caught earlier this week. Early morning and evening continue to be prime for walleye, with jerkbaits and live minnows getting it done[3][5].
Hot spots worth checking today include the rocky points off Valcour Island for smallmouth and the deeper channels near Thompson’s Point for lake trout. For largemouth, hit the weedy shallows around Sand Bar and Missisquoi Bay.
Best baits right now include soft plastics in natural and bright colors for trout, bladed jigs and drop shots for bass, and live shiners or nightcrawlers for walleye. If you’re trolling, stick with stickbaits or spoons in silver and blue patterns.
The lake is buzzing with activity, the fish are biting hard, and the weather is about perfect. Get out, enjoy it, and tight lines.