Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your November 25, 2025, Lake Champlain fishing report.
A chilly late fall morning greets us with air temps in the lower 30s and a light northwesterly breeze. According to the National Weather Service, highs will sneak up to the low 40s by early afternoon. Expect partly sunny skies, patchy morning ice on sheltered coves, and a persistent hint of winter in the air. Sunrise came at 6:59 AM with sunset at 4:18 PM—clock’s ticking, so get your lines wet early.
While Lake Champlain isn’t tidal, the lake’s water levels can show daily changes, especially after strong winds or rain. The lake remains seasonally stable this week, offering classic late fall structure fishing.
Bass fishing is still going strong. Major League Fishing’s November tournaments showed post-spawn smallmouth feeding hard along the flats, edges, and secondary points. Tucker Smith and other top pros hammered chunky smallmouth in the 3- to 4-pound range, picking up fish from both deep and mid-depth grass beds, as well as rocky breaks around Malletts Bay and Alburg Passage. There have been reports of 18- to 22-pound tournament bags, mostly smallmouth but with a kicker largemouth helping some leaders[Major League Fishing, November 2025].
For your best bet today, go finesse. Anglers are killing it on 5-inch minnow-imitating soft plastics like the Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm and Deps Sakamata Shad, rigged on a light 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jighead. Ned rigs, especially the Yamamoto Ned Senko on a Picasso Rhino Ned Head, are picking off aggressive fish holding tight to the bottom. If you’re after some topwater action, don’t hang up the Berkley J-Walker or Strike King Sexy Dawg just yet—a few folks found mayhem in the evenings over isolated grass flats, with multiple blowups in a row.
Grass beds (especially in 8-15 feet near Malletts Bay) and secondary points along the eastern shore have been loaded with bait and hungry bass. For a shot at numbers, don’t ignore the north end—Alburg Passage and The Inland Sea have been consistent. If it turns sunny and calmer, chase suspended fish around deeper alewife schools, especially mid-lake on the New York side.
Kicker largemouth are still being caught shallow—try flipping a compact creature like a 6th Sense Bongo into thick reeds or channels, especially afternoons after sun warms the shallows. Some anglers report hundreds of 2- to 4-inch perch schooling up, and that’s a prime draw for both bass and late-season pike.
Other catches from this week include steady action for yellow perch, white perch, and the occasional slab crappie around rocky points and marinas near Swanton. Small blade baits and live minnows are producing for panfish when bass get finicky.
Best lure choices today:
- 5-inch minnow baits (Shad Shape Worm, Sakamata Shad)
- Ned rigs (Ned Senko)
- Jerkbaits for deep grass
- Topwater walkers (late afternoon, low wind)
- Compact soft plastics for largemouth in the reeds
Live bait options remain
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.