Crisp Fall Fishing on Lake Champlain - Smallmouth Crushing, Largemouth Lurking, and Insider Tips

Alright, listen up, folks. It’s that time again, and I’m standing here on the shore of Lake Champlain, coffee in hand, watching the sun just starting to peek over the Adirondacks. Weather’s crisp this morning, high around 38, low near 25, with a light breeze out of the northwest. Skies are mostly clear now, but a few clouds are rolling in later, so if you’re heading out, dress in layers and keep an eye on the radar. Sunrise was at 7:19, sunset tonight at 4:26, so you’ve got a solid nine hours of daylight if you’re chasing bass or pike. Tide-wise, we’re on an incoming tide right now at Saint-François, water level rising slowly. That’s good news for the shoreline bite—water moving in usually gets the fish keyed in on the edges, especially around points and weedlines. Now, about the fish. Last week’s Bass Pro Tour on Champlain was a mixed bag, but the story was smallmouth. Jacob Wheeler absolutely crushed it on the main lake with a Googan Baits Rattlin’ Ned in Smelt and Green Pumpkin Goby on a Neko rig, 88 pounds of smallies. Most of the field mixed smallmouth and largemouth, but the difference-makers were the guys who dialed in the smallmouth on plastics and drop-shot setups. There were over a thousand smallmouth and nearly a thousand largemouth weighed in, so the lake is loaded. For lures, if you’re chasing smallmouth, go with finesse. A Ned rig in Smelt or Green Pumpkin Goby on a 3/8- to 3/4-ounce drop-shot weight is money, especially on a 7’2 spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound fluorocarbon. Crankbaits like the Rapala OG Slim in Helsinki Shad or Hot Copper Green Shad are solid on the main lake, and a brown SPRO frog is still a killer for big largemouth around the pads and wood. Bait-wise, downsizing is the local advice. Match the hatch—go with smaller plastics that mimic the lake’s natural forage. A Texas-rigged green pumpkin worm or a small jig with a craw trailer works well for both species, especially around docks and rock piles. Hot spots? First, Ticonderoga Narrows. That’s where Ott DeFoe and Tim Horton stacked up big largemouth flipping a jig and crankin’ the main lake. Second, the Colchester Causeway shoreline. It’s a solid spot for shore fishing—bass, perch, and pike all show up there, especially early morning and late evening. Just remember, you need a Vermont fishing license if you’re on the VT side. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn