Crisp Fall Fishing Frenzy on Lake Champlain - Smallmouth, Walleye, and More Biting Strong

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing update for Friday, October 10th, 2025. It’s a crisp fall morning, the kind that gets your blood moving and sets up some of the best fishing of the year in our legendary big lake. Surface temps are dropping, colors are peaking, and fish are putting the feedbag on before winter. Weather today brings calm to light northwest winds, with a midday high in the upper 50s. According to the National Weather Service, expect waves 1 to 3 feet with pockets seeing up to 4 feet, but it’s mostly manageable out there for small craft. No tidal action here—Champlain is a freshwater beauty, but wind still kicks up localized currents and chop. Sunrise came at 6:59 AM; sunset’s at 6:21 PM, so you’ve got good long daylight to work the water. Let’s get to the fish! Smallmouth bass are absolutely hot right now, with recent reports from seasoned guides like Advanced Bassin’ Plus showing multiple outings where clients landed bass after bass, especially working rocky points and deep flats. On October 9, a crew fished similar North Country waters and racked up “well above average size” smallmouth—high numbers, plenty of chunky fish. Even newbies and kids got in on big fish action. The magic pattern: cool nights tightening up bait schools, bass locking on and feeding hard. Walleye are also showing in the catch, though they’re a bit moodier with the shifting weather. Last week’s outings saw quality ‘eyes for anglers drifting deep structure, especially at dawn, with a 28-inch walleye caught nearby on a finesse setup. Pike and yellow perch are mixed in if you’re willing to work jigs or live bait in weedy bays and drop-offs. And yes, for trout hunters, the odd lake trout is showing, including one recent (and bizarre) two-headed catch making social headlines! For baits, the ticket this week is finesse. Dropshot rigs with goby-style plastics, Ned rigs, and tubes in green pumpkin or smoke are the best bets for smallmouth—keep it slow, keep it on the rocks. If you want walleye, vertical jigging with live minnows or jig and worm combo is producing, especially on deeper humps and current seams. Perch are nailing small fathead minnows near the weedlines. Folks trolling stickbaits—think gold and perch finishes—have also had luck with multi-species limits in the mid-lake basin. Best hotspots? The Inland Sea near Maquam Bay is firing for smallmouth and perch—work the transitions where rocks meet scattered weeds. The mouth of the Winooski River is a pike magnet right now, especially early and late. For walleye, try Thompson’s Point or deeper drops off Valcour Island. Recent keeper counts? It’s been common to boat 15-20 quality smallmouth in a morning session, sometimes more if you move fast and work each pocket thoroughly. A mixed bag of perch, the occasional big pike, and steady walleye means there’s action all across the system, whether you’re wading, kayaking, or firing up the bass boat. Wrap up: Dress in layers, bring extra sn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.