Lake Champlain Fishing Report: Winter Bite Heats Up Smallies, Lakers, and Walleye

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for this crisp mid-December morning. Winter's grip is tight—temps hovering around 25°F with light northwest winds at 5-10 knots, per the National Weather Service in Burlington. Sunrise was at 7:25 AM, sunset 4:20 PM, so make those daylight hours count before the chill deepens. No real tides up here on the big lake, but water levels are steady, no major swings. Fish are active in the cold—Spreaker's Lake Champlain Fishing Report from early December notes solid action on smallmouth bass, lake trout, and salmon prepping for winter patterns. Anglers pulled in limits of smallies suspending off points, lakers from 40-60 feet, and a few salmon chasing baitfish. Walleye holding deep too, with recent reports of 4-6 pounders. Catch numbers are decent: 10-20 fish days if you're on 'em, mostly 2-5 pound smallies and trout to 8 pounds. Best lures right now? Jigs tipped with minnows or soft plastics like 4-inch tubes in white or glow—drop 'em deep for lakers and walleye. For smallies, try suspending jerkbaits or small spoons in silver. Live bait shines: shiners or alewives on rigs for everything. Gloves are a must in this cold—pros like Jimmy Washam swear by suede-palm fingerless ones for grip on reels and fish, layering with liners if it dips lower. Hot spots: Hit Mallets Bay for smallies around the pressure ridges—ice is forming but stay offshore. Inland Sea drop-offs for lakers, and Burlington Harbor mouths for salmon. Watch ice edges; Vermont Health Dept warns Lake Champlain rarely fully freezes, so no venturing out yet. Bundle up, check regs, and tight lines! Thanks for tuning in—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.