This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Champlain fishing report.

We’re sliding into the hardwater season now, with near‑freezing air temps, a stiff north–northwest breeze, and water temps hanging in the upper 30s to low 40s on the main lake. Skies are mostly cloudy this morning with passing breaks of sun and a chance of light snow showers later. Expect that classic Champlain chop if you’re out in an open boat.

Sunrise is right around 7:20 a.m. on the Vermont side, with sunset near 4:16 p.m., giving us a short, low‑light window that’s been driving most of the bite. The first hour after sunrise and the last hour before dark have been the best producers.

Lake Champlain isn’t tidal, so no true tide swings to worry about, but the wind is pushing water and bait onto the east shore this morning, setting up some nice ambush lines on points and inside turns.

Recent catches from local shops and social posts around Burlington, Plattsburgh, and the Islands have been a mixed late‑fall bag:

- Smallmouth bass in the 2–4 lb class off rock humps and drops in 25–40 feet

- A few chunky largemouth in back bays that still have green weeds

- Consistent lake trout action over deeper basins, 70–100 feet, when the wind lets folks get there

- Walleye showing up in better numbers after dark near river mouths and rocky shorelines

For **smallmouth**, think winter mode: tight to rock, deep, and slow. Best artificials right now are:

- 3.5" tubes in green pumpkin or goby‑style colors dragged painfully slow

- Finesse swimbaits on 1/4–3/8 oz heads, natural shad or smelt patterns

- Blade baits and small silver/gold spoons yo‑yoed near bottom when they’re really pinned down

For **walleye**, the night bite is where it’s at:

- Jigheads tipped with live minnows

- Slow‑rolled paddle‑tail swimbaits and suspending jerkbaits along rocky edges

Glow or chartreuse patterns help in the stained evening water.

For **lake trout**, vertical is the name of the game:

- 1–2 oz white tubes, heavy jigging spoons, and soft swimbaits dropped to marks and snapped up through them

Smelt‑colored plastics have been producing on the deeper contours.

Best **natural bait** options:

- Live shiners and small dace for walleye and bass

- Dead bait strips or smelt where legal for lakers

- Nightcrawlers still turning the occasional bonus perch in protected pockets

Couple of **hot spots** to circle on your map:

- The Inland Sea and around Butler Island: deeper rock, mid‑lake humps, and edges are holding quality smallmouth and a few late‑season lakers when the wind lines up.

- The mouth of the Winooski and the Colchester Reef area: good for mixed‑bag action—smallies on the rock, and a nighttime walleye shot along the breaks.

If you’re launching, remember ramps can be slick with skim ice at first light. Bring the ice cleats, and keep an eye on that north wind; Champlain can turn ugly fast this time of year.

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Hey folks, Artificial Lure here, your go-to guy for anglin' on Lake Champlain. It's December 12th, 2025, and we're lookin' at a crisp mornin' with temps hoverin' around 25°F, light northwest winds at 5-10 mph, mostly sunny skies—perfect for bundlin' up and hittin' the water. Sunrise was at 7:22 AM, sunset's 4:20 PM, so ya got about 9 hours of light. No real tides on Champlain, but water levels are steady, with minor fluctuations from wind—keep an eye on those currents near the inlets.

Fish activity's pickin' up this time of year. Vermont Fish & Wildlife's Ed Weed Fish Culture Station just wrapped spawnin' ops in November, collectin' 331,800 landlocked Atlantic salmon eggs that'll hatch 'round Christmas and stock the lake come spring 2027. Salmon runs are strong in tributaries like Hatchery Brook, and populations are growin' thanks to hatchery boosts since the '70s. Anglers report solid catches of **landlocked salmon** (2-5 lbs), **lake trout**, **smallmouth bass**, and perch lately—bowfin too if you're fly fishin', per Capt. Drew Price's reports. Limits are modest but quality: think 3-4 salmon per outing, with bass in the 3-4 lb range holdin' deep.

For lures, go finesse in this cold water—**drop-shot rigs** with straight-tail worms in morning dawn colors or Googan Baits Drag n Drop on a 1/4-oz weight, Texas-rigged to avoid snags in brush. Swimbaits on medium-heavy rods with 12-lb fluoro for offshore points and humps. **Carolina rigs** shine for deep smallmouth, tweaked with finesse plastics. Live bait? **Shiners or alewives** on tip-ups for salmon and lakers, or worms for perch.

Hot spots today: **Grand Isle near the Ed Weed Station** for salmon staging in shallows, and **offshore humps around Colchester Reef** for bass and trout—watch for suspended fish on structure.

Bundle up, check regs, and stay safe out there.

Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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Morning’s looking good for Lake Champlain anglers leaning into this December day. We’ll be seeing partly cloudy skies with crisp temps hovering in the mid-30s to low 40s (°F), perfect for late fall fishing without the big chill yet. Sunrise was around 7:15 AM, and sunset will fall near 4:20 PM, giving us limited but valuable daylight hours. The lake itself isn’t tidal, but water levels have been steady, with no strong currents to disrupt fish holding areas. Conditions on the water are calm, with light winds from the northwest at 5 to 8 mph — nice for casting without battling waves.

Fish activity in Lake Champlain right now is focused on more sluggish, deep-water patterns as the water cools. Smallmouth bass remain active, especially around rocky points and submerged ledges, feeding to prime for the winter. Recent tournament reports show anglers scoring well with finesse soft plastics like Googan Baits Rattlin’ Ned in natural hues such as Smelt and Green Pumpkin Goby — these prove lethal when drop-shot or weightless rigged around mid-depth structures. Largemouth bass, although less abundant now, lurk near weed edges and docks, more sluggish but responsive to slow presentations like Texas-rigged soft plastics and swim jigs in green pumpkin or watermelon candy colors. Crankbaits in shades mimicking perch and goby have also been pulling fish off creek mouths near Ticonderoga.

For bait, live options like minnows and crayfish remain reliable, especially when targeting bass in shallower coves or under docks. When using artificial lures, skipping a Strike King Sexy Frog or a swim jig under dock covers or tight shorelines is a great winter tactic—these mimic distressed prey and entice strikes even in cold water. For line, 14 to 20-pound fluorocarbon is ideal for finesse and maneuvering in near structure without spooking wary fish.

Let’s talk spots — the Colchester Causeway is always a good bet. It offers a mix of rocky bottom and submerged structures that smallmouth bass key in on this time of year, particularly around drop-offs. Downsizing your tackle here and matching your bait to the forage (think gobies and small baitfish) will pay dividends. Another hotspot to check is the Ticonderoga area near the southern basin. The largemouths and smallmouths both congregate around docks, creek channels, and weed flats. Cranking around the Ticonderoga causeway or flipping jigs near docks can trigger some winter action.

Weather-wise, keep an eye on the forecast as cold fronts can temporarily shut down bite windows. When the lake stabilizes afterward, fishing picks up again—patience and adapting your presentation to slower, more deliberate tactics will win out.

So, for today, I’m dialing in a mix of finesse Ned rigs and drop shots for smallmouth around rocky structures, skipping soft plastics under docks for largemouth, plus a few well-placed crankbaits near creek mouths. Toss in some live minnows if you want to slow the action down and tempt wary bass. And reme

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report.

We’re locked into early‑winter mode on the big lake. According to the National Weather Service out of Burlington, air temps today are riding the mid 20s to low 30s on the main lake, light north–northwest breeze, and a mix of clouds with a few sun breaks. Champlain isn’t tidal, so no tide swings to worry about, just wind‑driven chop and some skim ice forming in the real quiet bays.

Sunrise is right around 7:20 a.m. with sunset close to 4:15 p.m., so your prime feeding windows are that first hour of light and the last hour before dark. Fish are bunched up and not roaming much; think winter haunts, not shoreline beat‑downs.

Recent reports from local Champlain guides and tackle shops on both the Vermont and New York sides say smallmouth and lake trout have been the main players, with a few stubborn largemouth and pike still showing in deeper weeds. Bass guys are talking about 20–40 fish days when they stay on one school, with smallies mostly in the 3‑pound class and the odd 4‑plus mixed in. Multi‑species crews are icing or boating good numbers of perch and mixed panfish off deeper weed edges in 20–30 feet.

Fish activity is best when the breeze ruffles the surface and right before any snow squall pushes in. Midday is slower but you can still pick at them on finesse stuff.

Best lures right now for bass and lake trout are all about **minnow profiles** and **metal**. The recent Toyota Series coverage from Major League Fishing on Champlain, along with the Lake Champlain Fishing Report Today podcast, both point to 5‑inch shad‑style baits like Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms and Deps Sakamata Shads on 1/4–3/8 ounce jigheads as top producers. Work them slowly on main‑lake points, humps, and rock piles in 25–45 feet. Blade baits in silver or gold, yo‑yoed off the bottom, are putting smallies and lakers in the net. Drop‑shot rigs with 4–5 inch worms or minnow imitations are still money when they won’t chase.

Natural bait is doing work too. Local shops around Plattsburgh and Colchester report emerald shiners and fatheads are the ticket under slip floats or on light bottom rigs for perch, mixed panfish, and the occasional bonus smallie or laker. Nightcrawlers on small jigs are catching a grab‑bag along deeper weeds whenever the sun pops.

Couple of hot spots to circle today:

• The Champlain Bridge / Crown Point narrows: that current through the pinch stacks bait on the rock and rubble and around bridge pilings. Good place to jig blades and swimbaits for smallmouth, with crappie and perch mixed in when you slide off to the softer bottom.

• The Inland Sea and the passes around North Hero and South Hero: deep rock next to remaining weeds and current seams are holding wintering smallmouth and pike, plus a shot at a cruising lake trout. Finesse swimbaits and Ned rigs here, with live shiners for the pike.

If you’re heading out, dress for it, watch those ramps and shore ice, and move slow until you graph

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain rundown. We’re locked into early‑winter mode on the big lake, and she’s starting to fish like it. According to the Burlington TV weather desks, overnight lows have been dipping into the 20s with daytime highs just clawing into the low 30s, light north to northwest breeze and a high overcast ceiling with occasional breaks. That stable, cold pattern is perfect for a predictable but subtle bite.

Sunrise is right around 7:15 a.m. and sunset about 4:15 p.m., so your real feed windows are tight: the first two hours after sunup and that last golden hour into dark have been money. Lake Champlain is freshwater, so no true tide to worry about; level and current are wind‑driven. A steady north wind has been pushing a little extra flow toward the south end and around the Gut, and any hint of current has been enough to stack fish.

Water temps on the broad lake are riding upper 30s to about 40 degrees, a touch colder in the backs of the bays. Local guide chatter out of Burlington and the Inland Sea says smallmouth have bunched up deep on rock and remaining bait, lake trout have slid a bit shallower than their mid‑winter haunts, and panfish are packing into their winter basins.

Recent catches have been solid if you’re willing to grind. Boats working out of Burlington and Converse Bay are reporting mixed bags: a dozen to a couple dozen smallmouth per trip when you stay on a pod, most running 2–3 pounds with a few honest 4s mixed in. Jigging crews up around the Inland Sea are putting a handful of lake trout per angler in 60–100 feet, plus the odd bonus salmon when the smelt swing through. Up in Missisquoi and St. Albans bays, the early ice‑edge panfish crowd has been hauling buckets of hand‑size perch and bluegill on finesse rigs.

Best lures for bass right now are all about subtle metal and plastic: 3–4 inch blade baits in silver or gold yo‑yoed on deep rock humps, small football jigs with green‑pumpkin craw trailers, and finesse swimbaits on 1/4 to 3/8 ounce heads in shad or smelt patterns, slow‑rolled just off bottom. For lake trout and the scattered salmon, white or glow jigging spoons and tube jigs tipped with a minnow are hard to beat, with a dead‑sticked live or cut bait just off bottom where regulations allow. Panfish fans should lean into tiny tungsten jigs in chartreuse or glow tipped with waxies or spikes, or small crappie minnows under a sensitive float. Natural bait of choice across the board has been emerald shiners and fatheads, with nightcrawlers still fooling mixed panfish on the deeper weed edges where you can find green stuff.

Couple of hot spots to circle on the map: Thompson’s Point down through Converse Bay on the Vermont side has been a steady early‑winter producer, with deep rock in 30–45 feet holding good pods of smallmouth and the occasional bonus laker when you’re dragging jigs. Up north, the Inland Sea around the Drop near Knight Island is classic structure in 60–100 feet, giving up lak

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain rundown.

We’re sliding into early winter mode on the big lake. Overnight temps have been in the 20s and low 30s with daytime highs struggling through the 30s, light north to northwest breeze, and a high overcast ceiling with occasional breaks. Local forecasters around Burlington are calling for stable, cold, fairly calm weather the next couple days, which usually means predictable, if subtle, bites.

Sunrise is right around 7:15 a.m. with sunset about 4:15 p.m. That gives you a very short feeding window, and the best action has been the first two hours after sunup and the hour leading into dark. Lake Champlain is a freshwater system, so no true tide to worry about, but water level and current are being driven by wind; any sustained north wind is stacking a little extra push on the south end and around the Gut.

Water temps are now in the upper 30s to about 40 on the broad lake, a touch colder in the backs of the bays. According to recent local reports and guide chatter, smallmouth are grouped up deep on rock and remaining bait; lake trout are sliding a bit shallower; panfish and perch are packing into the winter basins.

Recent catches have been solid, not crazy. Anglers out of Burlington and Converse Bay have been picking up mixed bags: a dozen to a couple dozen smallmouth per trip if you stay on them, mostly 2–3 pounds with a few 4s. Jigging crews north around Inland Sea have reported steady lake trout, a handful per angler in 60–100 feet, plus the odd salmon when the smelt show. Perch and bluegill bites in Missisquoi and St. Albans bays are kicking in, with buckets of hand-sized fish for those willing to finesse them.

Best *lures* right now for bass:

- 3–4 inch blade baits in silver or gold, yo-yoed on deep rock humps.

- Small football jigs with green pumpkin craw trailers.

- Finesse swimbaits on 1/4–3/8 oz heads, shad or smelt colors, slow-rolled just off bottom.

For *lake trout and salmon*:

- White or glow jigging spoons and tube jigs tipped with a minnow.

- Dead-sticked live or cut bait just off bottom where legal.

For *panfish*:

- Tiny tungsten jigs in chartreuse or glow, tipped with waxies or spikes.

- Small crappie minnows on plain hooks under a sensitive float.

Natural *bait* that’s been producing includes emerald shiners and fatheads for everything from perch to lakers, plus nightcrawlers for mixed panfish on the deeper weed edges.

A couple of **hot spots** to think about:

- **Thompson’s Point to Converse Bay** on the Vermont side: deep rock, good smallmouth and occasional bonus laker when you’re dragging jigs in 30–45 feet.

- **Inland Sea – around the Drop near Knight Island**: classic early-winter structure, 60–100 feet, good for lakers, with roaming smelt schools drawing salmon and the better smallmouth.

Boat access is getting tricky with skim ice in some marinas, and the first shoreline ice is forming in the shallow bays, so use your head: check ramps, wear a PF

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing rundown, coming at you like a cold north wind off the broad lake.

Up and down Champlain, we’re in classic early winter mode. Night temps have the surface cooling hard, so expect sluggish fish tight to structure and edges, with the best bites stacked around the warmest part of the afternoon and the low‑light windows at first light and dusk. Sunrise and sunset are close together now, so that prime-time window is short but sweet, and you’ll want to be in position, not running, when that light changes.

Tides aren’t a factor here the way they are on the coast; Champlain’s level is driven by wind and river flow, so pay more attention to wind direction than any tide chart. A steady north or northwest breeze will push bait and warmer surface water down toward places like Converse Bay and the inland sea cuts, while a south wind tends to load up the north-end rock and sand transitions. Any shoreline with wind blowing in and a little stain is worth an extra pass.

Recent reports from locals and visiting tournament sticks have been all about mixed bags: brown bass, green bass, and some bonus pike and lake trout out deeper. Smallmouth are still showing on mid-depth rock humps and points, often in 20–35 feet, with groups of fish holding tight to boulders and drops. Largemouth are being picked off in remaining green weedbeds and around docks in the more sheltered bays, along with a few chunky fish pulled from steep rock-and-weed edges where the grass dies off into hard bottom.

For hardware, think small and natural. A 3–3.3 inch paddletail swimbait on a light jighead, fished slowly along bottom, has been a steady producer for quality smallmouth. Finesse techniques are shining: drop-shots with baitfish-colored plastics, Ned rigs in green pumpkin or brown, and compact football jigs dragged painstakingly slow over rock piles. For largemouth, downsized jigs with craw trailers, suspending jerkbaits worked with long pauses, and even subtle blade baits yo-yoed off bottom are putting fish in the boat. If you’re soaking live bait, medium shiners for bass and pike, and small fathead minnows for panfish, under a slip float or on a light bottom rig, are your best bets.

A couple of hot spots to circle on the map:

- The Champlain Bridge/Crown Point area, where the current through the narrows stacks bait and both smallmouth and crappie around bridge pilings and nearby rock and rubble.

- The Inland Sea and the openings around North Hero and South Hero, where deep rock, remaining weeds, and current seams from the passes can concentrate wintering smallmouth, pike, and the occasional lake trout.

Overall activity is subdued but steady: fewer bites, more quality. If you’re patient, fish slow, and stay on that rock-and-weed mix or classic winter humps, you can put together a nice board with a handful of solid bronzebacks, some keeper largemouth, and a bonus toothy critter or two. Dress warm, watch the wind, and keep an ey

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# Lake Champlain Fishing Report - December 4th, 2025

Hey there, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Thursday, December 4th.

We're looking at a cold front moving through early this morning into early afternoon, bringing heavy snow showers and embedded squalls. Visibility is going to drop to a quarter mile or less at times with quick snow accumulation of one to two inches, so bundle up and stay safe out there. Water temps are sitting right where they should be for winter fishing—cold enough to slow metabolism but prime time for targeting trophy bass.

Here's the good news: December through March is actually the best time to target giant bass on Lake Champlain. The pressure's been on recently with some serious tournaments, but the fish are still feeding. A New York angler recently caught a real oddity—a fish with two mouths—so you never know what you'll pull up out there.

Based on recent tournament activity, the top baits and lures that have been working include drop-shot rigs with hand-poured worms and Googan Baits Drag n Drop presentations in Morning Dawn colors. Swimbaits like the Storm 360GT Largo Shad in Pearl have been solid for suspended fish around trees and points. Late-day success has come from Neko rigs around dock areas where the fish haven't been as pressured.

For your hot spots, focus on offshore points, humps, and submerged timber. The area around docks has been producing less-pressured bass toward evening. If you're looking for something closer to shore, St. Albans Bay offers year-round access and has historically been productive.

One heads-up: Vermont Fish and Wildlife has expanded their fall stocking program, allowing catch-and-release fishing for trophy trout in nine rivers from mid-October through mid-April. If you catch a tagged trout, report it online and contribute to their research.

Thanks so much for tuning in to this Lake Champlain fishing report. Make sure you subscribe for more updates as conditions change. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.

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Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025.

We're heading into prime giant bass season right now, and conditions are shaping up nicely despite some weather moving through. Snow's expected today with accumulations of 3 to 9 inches depending on where you are on the lake, so bundle up out there.

Water temps are dropping fast as we move deeper into December, and both smallmouth and largemouth are transitioning to their wintering grounds. The good news? This is when they concentrate in predictable spots. Look for steep main-lake points, rocky bluff walls, and deep edges in 20 to 40 feet of water. The fish are efficient hunters now—minimal movement means they're stacked tight in specific zones.

For baits and lures, minnows are absolutely crushing it right now. The recent Toyota Series on Champlain showed us that 5-inch shads paired with 1/4 to 3/8-ounce jigheads are producing big fish. Ned rigs with small plastics are money in cold water, and don't sleep on blade baits like Fish Sense Binsky or Molix Trago Vib worked right near bottom.

Speaking of that tournament, anglers were landing quality smallmouth consistently on glide baits, topwater presentations early and late, and good old-fashioned minnow imitations. Postspawn fish are still around, but they're moving deeper.

Hot spots right now? Malletts Bay is holding suspended fish and schooled smallmouth around secondary points in 8 to 12 feet. The Alburg Passage area also had anglers connecting with decent numbers both days.

Weather-wise, that snow system will make travel tough this morning and evening, so be careful out there. Once this system clears, stable conditions—even if brutally cold—will concentrate fish tighter to structure.

Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Champlain Fishing Report. Make sure to subscribe for daily updates and expert tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Tuesday, December 2nd. We've got some interesting conditions moving through the region as we head deeper into early winter.

Water temperatures are dropping significantly now, which means we're transitioning into what I call the late fall migration phase. The bass have had their fill from the feeding frenzy we saw a few weeks back and are starting to move toward their winter holding patterns. That means you'll want to focus on deeper structure and transition zones rather than shallow flats.

Weather-wise, keep an eye on things—we've had some wild conditions recently, so bundle up and check current forecasts before heading out. The National Weather Service out of Burlington is updating Lake Champlain recreational forecasts twice daily through December, so stay tuned to those for wind and wave conditions.

For lures, spinnerbaits are still underrated this time of year and absolutely work. You'll also want to throw swim jigs and soft plastics in natural colors that match the baitfish patterns. Since we're in early December, think minnow imitations—that's what's working right now.

I'd recommend checking out the shallower coves and creek mouths where structure holds bass transitioning to deeper water. Fort Ticonderoga area on the New York side offers some solid access points, and the Charlotte area near Mount Philo on the Vermont side gives you good coverage of the lake.

Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Champlain fishing report. Make sure you subscribe for daily updates on catches, weather conditions, and seasonal trends right here on your favorite fishing channel.

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