Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Lake Champlain fishing report, giving you the local rundown you need as we head deeper into autumn’s chill.
First light broke at 7:22 a.m. with the sun setting at 5:50 p.m., and we started the day frosty—lows scraping the lower 40s, but opening up to bright skies and highs in the mid-50s by afternoon. The northwest wind’s been pumping around 12 to 15 mph, so hang tight to your hats and expect a decent surface chop, especially up north and on any open-water runs. Remember, Lake Champlain isn’t tidal—no salt push here—but the water temp is stuck in that classic shoulder-season zone: around 56°F by midmorning, just warm enough to see mid-day bites pick up.
Mornings have made for a tough grind lately, with most fish slow and sticking to deeper structure. If you can push through or wait for the sun to bring some warmth, you’ll see that bite fire up—Advanced Bassin’ Plus and other guides are saying afternoon trips have been “on fire” for smallies. Anglers are catching plenty of smallmouth bass up to 4 pounds, mixed in with a few chunky largemouth. Look for activity to ramp up around rocky transitions and deeper humps, anywhere from 10 to 25 feet deep, especially near weedy drops.
Walleye have been finicky. Best chances are at dusk, with scattered action in the northern trenches around the Sandbar and a few solid fish caught near Port Henry, as well as at the mouths of the Lamoille and Ausable rivers. You’ll find the occasional big lake trout and pike mixed in, especially around mid-day when those shallow flats warm up—reports out of Quebec show even some sturgeon flexing their fall strength near rivers, though remember sturgeon are strictly catch-and-release if you run into one.
If you’re looking to fill the livewell, here’s what’s been catching:
- Drop-shot rigs with Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worms, green pumpkin or smelt colors, are tough to beat for numbers of smallmouth.
- Marabou jigs (1/8 to 1/6 oz., black or brown) are producing on shallow, calm edges and for sight-fishing cruisers.
- Carolina rigs rigged with a Zoom UltraVibe Speed Craw are a smart play on deep weedlines—lash out 12 to 20 feet around ledges.
- For thick grass, Texas rigs are still reliable, especially as bass hunt late-fall forage.
- Drag a finesse football jig with a MaxScent Lil’ General on deeper rock piles and ledges for the heaviest smallies.
- When in doubt, don’t discount some good old live bait—medium shiners or small suckers set near bottom structure have tricked both lazy bass and walleye as waters cool.
On the recent catch scoreboard: loads of smallmouth, a handful of legal largemouth, and reports of some heavyweight pike between Sand Bar State Park and Missisquoi. There’s lots for the fly crew too—with the streamer bite alive and well in back bays, brown or olive bunny leeches stripped quick across submerged grass are tagging bonus rainbows and browns.
For some hot spots this evening and tomorrow:
- The Inland Sea off Grand Isle has stayed consistent for smallmouth on rocky points and sunken humps, especially later in the day as the water warms.
- Port Henry and the mouth of the Ausable River are multi-species gold: bass, late-run walleye, and if you bounce a jig deep, a big lake trout might just surprise you.
Local tournaments, like last week’s Toyota Series, saw bags of smallmouth over 20 pounds—Tucker Smith pulled the win with a two-day haul of over 40 pounds, mostly on finesse minnows and Ned rigs, proving that downsized baits and precise presentations still rule when it’s clear and chilly.
Stay safe—cold water and breeze means life jackets are a must, especially in small craft. That’s your Lake Champlain insider scoop from Artificial Lure.
Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for your daily dose of Champlain tactics and updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
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