Artificial Lure here with your Friday, June 20th, 2025 Lake Champlain fishing report, coming at you from the heart of Vermont and New York’s premier angling waters.
We kicked off the day with a sunrise at 5:13 a.m., and tonight’s sunset will be at 8:41 p.m.—so there’s plenty of daylight to chase trophies. Weatherwise, we’re in for a warm-up following a stretch of cooler days that slowed some of the spring bite, especially for bass. Expect temps to push the mid-70s, moderate south winds, and mostly clear skies—a prime setup for both morning and evening action.
Reports from the central lake earlier this week have been red hot for smallmouth, with anglers bagging up to 20 bass in a session alongside a couple of hard-fighting northern pike, especially by working the shallows during low-light periods, both dawn and dusk. Smallmouth are still hanging around beds, but you’ll find them shifting to post-spawn behavior, cruising and feeding aggressively in back bays and broken rock structure. Pike are staying active with the prolonged cool stretch, with the action best inside milfoil beds and just off weed edges.
Over on the deeper side, lake trout numbers have been stellar; just a week ago, boats were reporting over 30 lakers per trip between Westport and Cumberland Head, including a healthy mix of wild and stocked fish according to Irish Raider Outfitters. Most of this lake trout bite is coming from 50–80 feet down, so break out the downriggers and long, slim spoons that mimic smelt. Slow trolling remains king, and if you’re a purist, a lively smelt on the bottom can draw strikes too.
For bass, stick to topwater frogs and poppers in the shallows early, then transition to jerkbaits or soft plastics like tubes and ned rigs once the sun climbs. Deep-water bassers are still picking up fish with drop-shot rigs and blade baits off points and ledges. Pike are hammering flashy spoons and spinnerbaits—think chartreuse or fire tiger patterns.
On the fly side, big pike streamers like Lefty’s Deceiver or Pike Bunnies, worked on 8 or 9 weights with short, wire-tipped leaders, will draw vicious strikes. Carp and gar are cruising the shallows post-spawn, so if you want a tug-of-war, bring your heaviest gear.
A couple of hot spots right now: the back bays around Ticonderoga are putting out good numbers of bass and pike, especially around weed lines. Up north, the rocky shorelines between Valcour and Cumberland Head are still prime for smallmouth. For lake trout, stick to the deep drop-offs off Westport and Port Henry.
That’s the scoop for today: lots of fish, lots of variety, and the bite is only getting better as the weather heats up. Thanks for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe for your daily dose of on-the-water intel.
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