Hot Bite on Lake Champlain: Bass, Walleye, and More amid Late-August Heatwave

Artificial Lure here with your Friday, August 29th Lake Champlain fishing report. If you’re heading out this morning, expect clear skies, warm humidity, and a light breeze as we head into another scorcher—forecast highs are set to touch the mid-90s by afternoon, so sun protection and hydration are a must. Sunrise came at 6:12am, with sunset scheduled for 7:34pm, giving us plenty of light for a full day on the water. We've been in a relentless late-August heatwave, and Lake Champlain is fishing accordingly. Surface temps are up, and fish are either hunkered down in the deeper structure or tucked tight to the shade of grass beds and docks. Mornings have given us our best shot at numbers, with action slowing mid-day before picking up again late afternoon. Tidal influence here is negligible, so focus your gameplan more on weather and wind. This week, trips out of the southern bays and around Burlington’s waterfront have been consistent for bass and the odd walleye. Reports from Advanced Bassin’ Plus just yesterday described heavy action using the dropshot through the late morning. Catch rates were strong, if not always big, and even the kids managed steady fish—one almost landed a musky that broke off last moment. The wind kicked up big in the afternoon, pushing out a lot of anglers, but everyone got into fish before heading in. If it’s largemouth you’re after, this is prime time to target the thick grass beds—local guides and social media buzz are all about slow-rolling a 3/4oz jig across submerged weeds or flipping heavy plastics into cover. The biggest bites are coming from shade pockets deep in the mats. For smallmouth, run those rocky shoals and points; stickbaits and Ned rigs have been reliable, but don’t overlook a subtle swimbait or even spybait in clearer water. Now, you’ll want some hot spots: - **Carry Bay and the pelagic structures off South Hero** are holding good numbers of bass, especially at dawn. - **The docks and deeper edges near Waterfront Park in Burlington** are producing decent mixed bags—try skipping baits far under the docks if you’re looking for a kicker fish. - And don’t miss **the mouth of Otter Creek**; the current there’s drawing in schools of bait and walleye, with reports of solid catches using live minnows or jigging spoons. Speaking of baits, the best producers this week have been: - **Dropshot rigs** with 3" minnow-style plastics—color like green pumpkin or smoke for clear days. - **3/4oz jigs** with a craw trailer—especially for largemouth in grass beds. - **Ned rigs and tubes** for smallmouth—use natural patterns for pressured fish. - Local charter champs have also been talking up the Beast Coast Seduce minnow, fished slowly on a weighted swimbait hook, for both bass and pike. Bowfin, pike, and even the odd channel cat have made appearances in the warm backwaters and slow-moving shallows lately—if that’s your target, bring live bait or big, flashy spinners. Boat launches and shoreline access are unaffected This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.