Lake Champlain Fishing Report: Frosty Bites and Tight Lines

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for this frigid winter morning of January 5th, 2026, right around 8:30 AM. Brrr, it's a crisp one out there—temps hovering in the low 20s with light winds from the northwest, partly cloudy skies, sunrise at 7:25 AM and sunset at 4:40 PM. No real tidal swings on Champlain today, but water levels are steady, perfect for open-water chasing. Fish are active despite the cold! Yesterday's reports from the Spreaker Lake Champlain Fishing Report show smallmouth bass, lake trout, and panfish crushing lures in open water—folks pulling in limits of 2-4 pound smallies and slabs up to 20 inches. Bassmaster clips highlight big wolf packs of smallies at 25-30 foot depths around brush piles and bait schools, with recent catches on surface-skipping minnows and half-ounce tungsten heads with 3-inch minnows on 10-pound fluoro. Best lures right now? Go vertical with jigging spoons or small blade baits for lakers and smallies—those erratic wobbles mimic injured baitfish. For panfish, tiny jigs tipped with maggots or soft plastics. Live bait? Worms or minnows on tip-ups if you're ice-bound, but open water's hot with artificials. Hit these hot spots: the deep contours off Point Au Roche for smallies, or the bait-rich ledges near St. Albans Reef for lakers and panfish—stay at 25-40 feet with 40-50 gain on your electronics. Bundle up, fish safe, and get after 'em! Thanks for tuning in, folks—subscribe for daily updates! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.