It’s Artificial Lure here, bringing you your November 25th Lake Champlain fishing report from the docks up north to the bays down south. If you headed out early today, you were greeted with a classic late-autumn chill—temps in the upper 30s at sunrise, working into the low 40s as the sun climbs higher. Winds are light out of the west, around 6-8 mph, and the skies are mostly clear, though some high clouds are drifting through. NOAA’s forecast points to a high near 45 by late afternoon, so dress in layers if you’re heading out.

Sunrise came at 6:59 AM and sunset is expected right around 4:18 PM, so your best window is midday when the water warms a few degrees and the fish really kick on. Lake Champlain doesn’t have a true tidal swing like a coastal estuary, so you can focus more on those wind-driven currents and the micro-eddies around reefs and points.

Bass anglers are still dialing in on the tail end of the fall feed. The Major League Fishing Toyota Series just wrapped a hard-fought event on Lake Champlain a couple of weeks back, and the reports are that both post-spawn and feeding smallmouth are hanging on flats and edges, from 8 out to 20 feet of water. Classic spots like Malletts Bay and the Alburg Passage are still producing, especially where schools of alewives are holding. Tucker Smith and Ethan Fields both loaded up using minnow imitations—think 5-inch Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms on 1/4 and 3/16-ounce heads, or Deps Sakamata Shads paired with Tungsten jig heads.

For largemouth, the southern lake is your play. The grass beds near Ticonderoga and bridge rockpiles are holding fish. Glide baits mimicking alewife, and jerkbaits worked over deep grass, have been hot according to recent tournament coverage. If you’re flipping the reeds, a 6th Sense Bongo or similar compact creature bait with a 7/16-ounce weight gets the nod, especially once the sun’s up and the water’s got some warmth.

As for today’s bite: fish are feeding hard on bait schools, especially perch and alewives. Smallmouth are coughing up both at the boat—local anglers are reporting some 4-pounders spitting up a perch and an alewife in the same breath. Match the hatch with soft plastic minnows, Ned rigs, and vertical presentations if you’re seeing marks mid-column. If you prefer a moving bait, a Berkley J-Walker or Strike King Sexy Dawg on topwater is sparking explosive strikes during the rare calm spell midday or towards evening.

Recent catches have been impressive for November—19–21 pound bags of mixed smallies and largemouth in the last major tournament, with single fish up to 5 pounds from Malletts and mid-lake offshore humps. Numbers remain strong around secondary points in 8-12 feet of water, especially those with good grass or rock. The Inland Sea is also producing well, with bonus fish showing up along boulder fields and isolated rock.

For bait, if you’re not throwing artificials, live shiners or jumbo minnows fished just off the bottom are still a ticket for smallmouth, and big nightcrawlers will get you into mixed bags including some bonus perch and even the odd picky lake trout.

If you’re trying new spots, here’s a couple hot ones: the grass beds of St. Albans Bay for numbers, and the transition rocks of Providence Island out towards Barbers Point for that shot at a trophy smallie. Don’t overlook the eddies on the New York side south of Plattsburgh—those current seams have been home to some fat fish lately.

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