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Late Fall Chills Grip Lake Champlain as Anglers Adapt for Cooler Temps and Trophy Fish
Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Friday, November 21, 2025. The late November chill has settled in, and you can feel winter nipping at your casting hand. We’ve got some crisp air and classic autumn skies—weather this morning sits in the high 30s, maybe brushing into the low 40s by afternoon, with a steady northwest breeze rattling the leafless branches. Expect overcast to partly cloudy conditions most of the day, so layer up. Sunrise was 6:58 AM and sunset’s clocking in early at 4:22 PM—your fishing window is tightening as we get deeper into fall.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife reports are showing consistent coldwater fishing action. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are schooling up, feeding hard ahead of freeze-up. Anglers this week pulled solid smallmouth—several in the 3 to 4 pound class, with a 5.2 reported from the Inland Sea on Tuesday. Largemouth are still showing up in sheltered bays; expect those fish to hammer a slow presentation. Northern pike activity is slower, but a handful of fat 30-inchers were landed outside Missisquoi. The salmon run is winding down but a few late-chrome landlocks are still biting below Winooski and the Lamoille.
Your best bet for lures: In these temps, go subtle and natural. According to the Lake Champlain Fishing Report Today podcast, soft plastics like green pumpkin tubes and small swimbaits are the ticket. Ned rigs in browns or smoke colors are hot right now, especially bounced off rock piles in 10 to 20 feet. For reaction bites, a 3/8-ounce chatterbait in shad or perch, slow-rolled off the weed edge, is getting results. If you’re into drop-shotting, minnows and finesse worms are pulling up mixed sizes on deeper points.
Live bait anglers are seeing steady action with shiners and small suckers fished right off the bottom but don’t sleep on a blade bait jigged slow mid-lake—stripers and a couple of late-season trout have come up on that bite.
Today’s lake is running calm with a little wind chop on the main channel—fish the lee sides and south-facing rock to find warmer water. Tidal influence is negligible here on Champlain, but water levels are down a bit, so be careful around the ramps.
Hot spots this week:
- The Inland Sea’s just north of North Hero Bridge is producing steady smallmouth and the occasional bonus walleye.
- The weed edge off St. Albans Bay is holding late largemouth and plenty of panfish.
- For river mouth salmon, try the pool below the Winooski where flows are up slightly from this week’s rain.
As we move toward Thanksgiving, expect fish to get sluggish—downsize, slow down, and focus on vertical presentations midday. Early morning and last light remain peak times.
Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Champlain rundown. Make sure you subscribe for tomorrow’s conditions and weekly hot spots—don’t miss a chance to land your personal best before ice-up.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease 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
Vermont Fish & Wildlife reports are showing consistent coldwater fishing action. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are schooling up, feeding hard ahead of freeze-up. Anglers this week pulled solid smallmouth—several in the 3 to 4 pound class, with a 5.2 reported from the Inland Sea on Tuesday. Largemouth are still showing up in sheltered bays; expect those fish to hammer a slow presentation. Northern pike activity is slower, but a handful of fat 30-inchers were landed outside Missisquoi. The salmon run is winding down but a few late-chrome landlocks are still biting below Winooski and the Lamoille.
Your best bet for lures: In these temps, go subtle and natural. According to the Lake Champlain Fishing Report Today podcast, soft plastics like green pumpkin tubes and small swimbaits are the ticket. Ned rigs in browns or smoke colors are hot right now, especially bounced off rock piles in 10 to 20 feet. For reaction bites, a 3/8-ounce chatterbait in shad or perch, slow-rolled off the weed edge, is getting results. If you’re into drop-shotting, minnows and finesse worms are pulling up mixed sizes on deeper points.
Live bait anglers are seeing steady action with shiners and small suckers fished right off the bottom but don’t sleep on a blade bait jigged slow mid-lake—stripers and a couple of late-season trout have come up on that bite.
Today’s lake is running calm with a little wind chop on the main channel—fish the lee sides and south-facing rock to find warmer water. Tidal influence is negligible here on Champlain, but water levels are down a bit, so be careful around the ramps.
Hot spots this week:
- The Inland Sea’s just north of North Hero Bridge is producing steady smallmouth and the occasional bonus walleye.
- The weed edge off St. Albans Bay is holding late largemouth and plenty of panfish.
- For river mouth salmon, try the pool below the Winooski where flows are up slightly from this week’s rain.
As we move toward Thanksgiving, expect fish to get sluggish—downsize, slow down, and focus on vertical presentations midday. Early morning and last light remain peak times.
Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Champlain rundown. Make sure you subscribe for tomorrow’s conditions and weekly hot spots—don’t miss a chance to land your personal best before ice-up.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease 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 AiArtificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Friday, November 21, 2025. The late November chill has settled in, and you can feel winter nipping at your casting hand. We’ve got some crisp air and classic autumn skies—weather this morning sits in the high 30s, maybe brushing into the low 40s by afternoon, with a steady northwest breeze rattling the leafless branches. Expect overcast to partly cloudy conditions most of the day, so layer up. Sunrise was 6:58 AM and sunset’s clocking in early at 4:22 PM—your fishing window is tightening as we get deeper into fall.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife reports are showing consistent coldwater fishing action. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are schooling up, feeding hard ahead of freeze-up. Anglers this week pulled solid smallmouth—several in the 3 to 4 pound class, with a 5.2 reported from the Inland Sea on Tuesday. Largemouth are still showing up in sheltered bays; expect those fish to hammer a slow presentation. Northern pike activity is slower, but a handful of fat 30-inchers were landed outside Missisquoi. The salmon run is winding down but a few late-chrome landlocks are still biting below Winooski and the Lamoille.
Your best bet for lures: In these temps, go subtle and natural. According to the Lake Champlain Fishing Report Today podcast, soft plastics like green pumpkin tubes and small swimbaits are the ticket. Ned rigs in browns or smoke colors are hot right now, especially bounced off rock piles in 10 to 20 feet. For reaction bites, a 3/8-ounce chatterbait in shad or perch, slow-rolled off the weed edge, is getting results. If you’re into drop-shotting, minnows and finesse worms are pulling up mixed sizes on deeper points.
Live bait anglers are seeing steady action with shiners and small suckers fished right off the bottom but don’t sleep on a blade bait jigged slow mid-lake—stripers and a couple of late-season trout have come up on that bite.
Today’s lake is running calm with a little wind chop on the main channel—fish the lee sides and south-facing rock to find warmer water. Tidal influence is negligible here on Champlain, but water levels are down a bit, so be careful around the ramps.
Hot spots this week:
- The Inland Sea’s just north of North Hero Bridge is producing steady smallmouth and the occasional bonus walleye.
- The weed edge off St. Albans Bay is holding late largemouth and plenty of panfish.
- For river mouth salmon, try the pool below the Winooski where flows are up slightly from this week’s rain.
As we move toward Thanksgiving, expect fish to get sluggish—downsize, slow down, and focus on vertical presentations midday. Early morning and last light remain peak times.
Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Champlain rundown. Make sure you subscribe for tomorrow’s conditions and weekly hot spots—don’t miss a chance to land your personal best before ice-up.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease 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
Vermont Fish & Wildlife reports are showing consistent coldwater fishing action. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are schooling up, feeding hard ahead of freeze-up. Anglers this week pulled solid smallmouth—several in the 3 to 4 pound class, with a 5.2 reported from the Inland Sea on Tuesday. Largemouth are still showing up in sheltered bays; expect those fish to hammer a slow presentation. Northern pike activity is slower, but a handful of fat 30-inchers were landed outside Missisquoi. The salmon run is winding down but a few late-chrome landlocks are still biting below Winooski and the Lamoille.
Your best bet for lures: In these temps, go subtle and natural. According to the Lake Champlain Fishing Report Today podcast, soft plastics like green pumpkin tubes and small swimbaits are the ticket. Ned rigs in browns or smoke colors are hot right now, especially bounced off rock piles in 10 to 20 feet. For reaction bites, a 3/8-ounce chatterbait in shad or perch, slow-rolled off the weed edge, is getting results. If you’re into drop-shotting, minnows and finesse worms are pulling up mixed sizes on deeper points.
Live bait anglers are seeing steady action with shiners and small suckers fished right off the bottom but don’t sleep on a blade bait jigged slow mid-lake—stripers and a couple of late-season trout have come up on that bite.
Today’s lake is running calm with a little wind chop on the main channel—fish the lee sides and south-facing rock to find warmer water. Tidal influence is negligible here on Champlain, but water levels are down a bit, so be careful around the ramps.
Hot spots this week:
- The Inland Sea’s just north of North Hero Bridge is producing steady smallmouth and the occasional bonus walleye.
- The weed edge off St. Albans Bay is holding late largemouth and plenty of panfish.
- For river mouth salmon, try the pool below the Winooski where flows are up slightly from this week’s rain.
As we move toward Thanksgiving, expect fish to get sluggish—downsize, slow down, and focus on vertical presentations midday. Early morning and last light remain peak times.
Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Champlain rundown. Make sure you subscribe for tomorrow’s conditions and weekly hot spots—don’t miss a chance to land your personal best before ice-up.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease 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