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Lake Champlain Ice Fishing Report: Perch, Walleye, and Pike Bites Heating Up
Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Champlain fishing report.
We’re deep in winter pattern now, and both Vermont Fish & Wildlife and the New York DEC remind folks that safe ice is your first job – thickness is highly variable this year, especially where creeks dump in and along pressure ridges. The big lake doesn’t have uniform ice, so most serious ice anglers are still favoring protected bays and shallows on both shores.
Weather’s running typical January cold: teens into low 20s with a light north–northwest breeze, high pressure in control. That means mostly clear skies, softer winds, and decent visibility out on the ice. Local forecasts put sunrise right around 7:30 a.m. with sunset near 4:30 p.m., so your prime bite windows are that first hour of gray light and the last hour before dark.
No true tide action on Champlain to worry about, just wind‑driven seiches and slight level changes from runoff. With the current calm pattern, you can pretty much fish your spots without battling a lot of under‑ice current except near river mouths.
Recent reports from local bait shops around Addison and the Islands area say yellow perch and bluegill have been steady in 10–25 feet, with some jumbo perch mixed in. Windrider’s Lake Champlain ice‑fishing tips point out that this lake produces excellent 10–14 inch “jumbos” plus solid winter walleye, especially late January into February, and that trend is starting to show now. Folks are icing decent numbers of perch, a mess of panfish, plus the odd eater walleye and pike.
Best producers:
- For perch and panfish, small tungsten jigs tipped with spikes or mousies, or a small spoon like a Slender Spoon or Buck‑Shot with a single maggot. Subtle quiver is outfishing big snaps.
- For walleye, set‑lines with medium shiners or small suckers just off bottom on the first main‑lake breaks. A glow spoon with a minnow head during low light is taking most of the jig fish.
- For pike, classic tip‑ups with big shiners or dead bait just under the ice over weed flats.
Trout talk has been quieter on the main lake, but anglers following the same tactics recommended by Windrider for mountain‑lake lakers – dead‑sticked bait and white tubes on bottom – are starting to see the occasional lake trout cruising deeper basins where there’s safe ice.
Two local hot spots to circle:
- **Keeler Bay / Sand Bar area** on the Vermont side: protected ice, good perch and bluegill action, plus a shot at pike. Work 10–18 feet off weed edges.
- **Port Henry / Bulwagga Bay** on the New York shore: when the ice locks in, this corner can kick out numbers of perch with bonus lakers and the occasional walleye along the drops.
Travel light, punch plenty of holes, and don’t be afraid to move 20–30 yards at a time until you stay on marks. Remember to check ice every step with a spud, keep those picks around your neck, and fish with a buddy if you can.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
We’re deep in winter pattern now, and both Vermont Fish & Wildlife and the New York DEC remind folks that safe ice is your first job – thickness is highly variable this year, especially where creeks dump in and along pressure ridges. The big lake doesn’t have uniform ice, so most serious ice anglers are still favoring protected bays and shallows on both shores.
Weather’s running typical January cold: teens into low 20s with a light north–northwest breeze, high pressure in control. That means mostly clear skies, softer winds, and decent visibility out on the ice. Local forecasts put sunrise right around 7:30 a.m. with sunset near 4:30 p.m., so your prime bite windows are that first hour of gray light and the last hour before dark.
No true tide action on Champlain to worry about, just wind‑driven seiches and slight level changes from runoff. With the current calm pattern, you can pretty much fish your spots without battling a lot of under‑ice current except near river mouths.
Recent reports from local bait shops around Addison and the Islands area say yellow perch and bluegill have been steady in 10–25 feet, with some jumbo perch mixed in. Windrider’s Lake Champlain ice‑fishing tips point out that this lake produces excellent 10–14 inch “jumbos” plus solid winter walleye, especially late January into February, and that trend is starting to show now. Folks are icing decent numbers of perch, a mess of panfish, plus the odd eater walleye and pike.
Best producers:
- For perch and panfish, small tungsten jigs tipped with spikes or mousies, or a small spoon like a Slender Spoon or Buck‑Shot with a single maggot. Subtle quiver is outfishing big snaps.
- For walleye, set‑lines with medium shiners or small suckers just off bottom on the first main‑lake breaks. A glow spoon with a minnow head during low light is taking most of the jig fish.
- For pike, classic tip‑ups with big shiners or dead bait just under the ice over weed flats.
Trout talk has been quieter on the main lake, but anglers following the same tactics recommended by Windrider for mountain‑lake lakers – dead‑sticked bait and white tubes on bottom – are starting to see the occasional lake trout cruising deeper basins where there’s safe ice.
Two local hot spots to circle:
- **Keeler Bay / Sand Bar area** on the Vermont side: protected ice, good perch and bluegill action, plus a shot at pike. Work 10–18 feet off weed edges.
- **Port Henry / Bulwagga Bay** on the New York shore: when the ice locks in, this corner can kick out numbers of perch with bonus lakers and the occasional walleye along the drops.
Travel light, punch plenty of holes, and don’t be afraid to move 20–30 yards at a time until you stay on marks. Remember to check ice every step with a spud, keep those picks around your neck, and fish with a buddy if you can.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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By Inception Point AiName’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Champlain fishing report.
We’re deep in winter pattern now, and both Vermont Fish & Wildlife and the New York DEC remind folks that safe ice is your first job – thickness is highly variable this year, especially where creeks dump in and along pressure ridges. The big lake doesn’t have uniform ice, so most serious ice anglers are still favoring protected bays and shallows on both shores.
Weather’s running typical January cold: teens into low 20s with a light north–northwest breeze, high pressure in control. That means mostly clear skies, softer winds, and decent visibility out on the ice. Local forecasts put sunrise right around 7:30 a.m. with sunset near 4:30 p.m., so your prime bite windows are that first hour of gray light and the last hour before dark.
No true tide action on Champlain to worry about, just wind‑driven seiches and slight level changes from runoff. With the current calm pattern, you can pretty much fish your spots without battling a lot of under‑ice current except near river mouths.
Recent reports from local bait shops around Addison and the Islands area say yellow perch and bluegill have been steady in 10–25 feet, with some jumbo perch mixed in. Windrider’s Lake Champlain ice‑fishing tips point out that this lake produces excellent 10–14 inch “jumbos” plus solid winter walleye, especially late January into February, and that trend is starting to show now. Folks are icing decent numbers of perch, a mess of panfish, plus the odd eater walleye and pike.
Best producers:
- For perch and panfish, small tungsten jigs tipped with spikes or mousies, or a small spoon like a Slender Spoon or Buck‑Shot with a single maggot. Subtle quiver is outfishing big snaps.
- For walleye, set‑lines with medium shiners or small suckers just off bottom on the first main‑lake breaks. A glow spoon with a minnow head during low light is taking most of the jig fish.
- For pike, classic tip‑ups with big shiners or dead bait just under the ice over weed flats.
Trout talk has been quieter on the main lake, but anglers following the same tactics recommended by Windrider for mountain‑lake lakers – dead‑sticked bait and white tubes on bottom – are starting to see the occasional lake trout cruising deeper basins where there’s safe ice.
Two local hot spots to circle:
- **Keeler Bay / Sand Bar area** on the Vermont side: protected ice, good perch and bluegill action, plus a shot at pike. Work 10–18 feet off weed edges.
- **Port Henry / Bulwagga Bay** on the New York shore: when the ice locks in, this corner can kick out numbers of perch with bonus lakers and the occasional walleye along the drops.
Travel light, punch plenty of holes, and don’t be afraid to move 20–30 yards at a time until you stay on marks. Remember to check ice every step with a spud, keep those picks around your neck, and fish with a buddy if you can.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
We’re deep in winter pattern now, and both Vermont Fish & Wildlife and the New York DEC remind folks that safe ice is your first job – thickness is highly variable this year, especially where creeks dump in and along pressure ridges. The big lake doesn’t have uniform ice, so most serious ice anglers are still favoring protected bays and shallows on both shores.
Weather’s running typical January cold: teens into low 20s with a light north–northwest breeze, high pressure in control. That means mostly clear skies, softer winds, and decent visibility out on the ice. Local forecasts put sunrise right around 7:30 a.m. with sunset near 4:30 p.m., so your prime bite windows are that first hour of gray light and the last hour before dark.
No true tide action on Champlain to worry about, just wind‑driven seiches and slight level changes from runoff. With the current calm pattern, you can pretty much fish your spots without battling a lot of under‑ice current except near river mouths.
Recent reports from local bait shops around Addison and the Islands area say yellow perch and bluegill have been steady in 10–25 feet, with some jumbo perch mixed in. Windrider’s Lake Champlain ice‑fishing tips point out that this lake produces excellent 10–14 inch “jumbos” plus solid winter walleye, especially late January into February, and that trend is starting to show now. Folks are icing decent numbers of perch, a mess of panfish, plus the odd eater walleye and pike.
Best producers:
- For perch and panfish, small tungsten jigs tipped with spikes or mousies, or a small spoon like a Slender Spoon or Buck‑Shot with a single maggot. Subtle quiver is outfishing big snaps.
- For walleye, set‑lines with medium shiners or small suckers just off bottom on the first main‑lake breaks. A glow spoon with a minnow head during low light is taking most of the jig fish.
- For pike, classic tip‑ups with big shiners or dead bait just under the ice over weed flats.
Trout talk has been quieter on the main lake, but anglers following the same tactics recommended by Windrider for mountain‑lake lakers – dead‑sticked bait and white tubes on bottom – are starting to see the occasional lake trout cruising deeper basins where there’s safe ice.
Two local hot spots to circle:
- **Keeler Bay / Sand Bar area** on the Vermont side: protected ice, good perch and bluegill action, plus a shot at pike. Work 10–18 feet off weed edges.
- **Port Henry / Bulwagga Bay** on the New York shore: when the ice locks in, this corner can kick out numbers of perch with bonus lakers and the occasional walleye along the drops.
Travel light, punch plenty of holes, and don’t be afraid to move 20–30 yards at a time until you stay on marks. Remember to check ice every step with a spud, keep those picks around your neck, and fish with a buddy if you can.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI