Lake Champlain Fishing Report: Post-Spawn Bite, Lures to Try, and Hot Spots to Target

Artificial Lure here, bringing you your November 26th Lake Champlain fishing report—the day after some rowdy winds shut down recent tournament action. Out on the big water, conditions have settled from yesterday’s gusty south winds that canceled day three of the Toyota Series up around Plattsburgh. Though the lake’s famous chop added a challenge, anglers showed big numbers for both smallmouth and largemouth in the prior event, with Tucker Smith taking the top spot after landing over 40 pounds of smallmouth bass in just two days, followed closely by Ethan Fields and Emil Wagner, each weighing nearly 40 pounds too. That’s a sign the bite remains hot when you can get out and the wind’s not howling. Weather right now is brisk and late-autumn cool, with temps around 38°F at dawn and climbing toward the mid-40s later this afternoon. Patchy clouds are moving through, so expect a mix of sun and gray. There are no tides in Champlain, being a freshwater lake, but keep in mind the wind can affect water levels, clarity, and boat control, especially on open stretches. Sunrise hit at 6:58 AM, and sunset will be at 4:19 PM—a short window, so plan your outing carefully and fish prime times. Post-spawn smallmouth have been pushing onto flats and edges, chasing alewives, and feeding up before winter. Largemouth are holed up in thicker structure and deeper water as the vegetation dies back. Reports out of the central and south basin say the bite’s best early morning, especially in that first hour of daylight. Best lures right now—anglers are catching on classic northern plastics and finesse rigs. The Ned rig is king for smallmouth: 5-inch Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms on 1/4-ounce Picasso jigheads, and Yamamoto Ned Senkos with Picasso Rhino Ned Heads get the job done across 15-50 feet of water. Drop-shot rigs with Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worms are also producing well, especially in goby or smelt colors. For largemouth, Texas-rigged Damiki Stingers (watermelon candy or green pumpkin) are deadly, and flipping perch-colored Yamamoto Senkos or a Rapala OG Slim crankbait in Helsinki Shad will get reaction bites as the water cools. If you want to go bigger, toss a brown SPRO frog across thick mat edges in the southern Ticonderoga area—serious largemouth have been tearing these up right until freeze-up. As for bait, stick to soft plastics shaped like baitfish or craws for best results. The fish are feeding up ahead of ice—minnow imitations are hot. Some anglers are finding success with natural shiners if you’re using live bait, but plastics remain the top ticket. Recent catch reports: Over 1,000 scorable smallmouth and 900+ largemouth posted in the last major event, with most tournament anglers easily filling limits. Lots of chunky smallmouth caught from midlake flats, edges, and the basin, especially south of the Inland Sea. Largemouth are biting best from weedbeds and dock structure in the southern bays. Local hot spots: • The midlake flats near South Hero a