Lake Champlain Winter Fishing Report: Perch, Walleye, and Pike Bite Strong as Ice Forms

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for this chilly Sunday morning, December 28th, 2025. It's a crisp winter day up here on the big lake—temps hovering around 25°F with light northwest winds at 5-10 mph, mostly sunny skies, perfect for bundling up and hitting the ice or open water edges. Sunrise was at 7:35 AM, sunset around 4:30 PM, so you've got a solid 9 hours of daylight to chase 'em. Water levels are steady with minimal tidal influence this time of year—expect a slight high around midnight at about 0.2 feet near the shores, dropping low by early morning per Tide-Forecast data for Lake Shore spots. Ice is forming in bays like Malletts, but check local reports—New York Almanack noted a recent ice rescue, so stay safe, test thickness, and avoid currents near the bridges. Fish activity's picking up in the cold; perch and walleye are key players right now, schooling in 15-30 feet off points. Recent catches from Spreaker's Lake Champlain reports show limits of perch up to 12 inches, a few slot walleye 18-25 inches, and northern pike pushing 30+ from jigging through ice holes. Panfish limits are tighter for 2026 per Vermontbiz regs, but Champlain's exempt—still, practice catch-and-release on big girls. Best lures? Tip-up rigs with medium shiners or sucker minnows for pike and walleye—deadstick 'em slow. Jig with 1/8-oz glow spoons in gold or chartreuse, or small blade baits like Rapala Jigging Raps. Live bait rules: fathead minnows or worms under a bobber for perch. Artificials shine too—go with soft plastics on light jigs if open water. Hot spots: Inner Malletts Bay for perch through the ice, and the drop-off north of the Crown Point Bridge for walleye—troll slow or vertical jig. Bundle up, respect the regs, and get out there before it locks up solid. 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.