Late Fall Fishing on Lake Champlain - Bass, Walleye, and Muskie Action Heating Up

Morning folks, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Friday, October 31st, 2025. It's the tail end of October, and the lake’s got that classic late fall vibe—water cooling quickly and most fish are on the move to their wintering holes. Weather’s brisk this morning. Expect overcast skies with temps lingering in the low 40s, and a light northwest wind. The water’s been running lower than usual, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center. We haven’t seen heavy rain in weeks, so plan on some extra shallow rocky structure sticking out. That means be careful on the boat ramp and keep a sharp eye on your graphs for submerged obstacles. No tides on Lake Champlain, but if you’re closer to the big rivers on the north end, plan on a slow current this morning. Sunrise came at 7:28 a.m. (EDT) and sunset’s around 5:45 p.m. We’ve got good daylight for the after-work crowd, but you’ll want to wrap up before temps really drop tonight. Bass are still the star of the show. Recent outings reported by Advanced Bassin’ Plus had anglers lighting up with both smallmouth and largemouth action around rocky points and deep weed edges. Mornings start off slow with the cold, but as the sun gets up and the wind lays down, fish activate fast—don’t quit early or you’ll miss the window. CC from their October 27th trip hauled in several larger smallmouth, with most catches coming midday. Walleye are mixed in, especially on the Vermont side near Alburgh and the mouths of the Lamoille and Winooski Rivers. Fish are pushing shallow during low light for that last major feed before winter. Focus on 8-15 feet in front of incoming creeks or along rocky shorelines. Best baits right now? Can’t go wrong with a Steelshad blade bait in 3/8- or 1/2-oz—New York Outdoor News swears by it for fall, especially over those mid-depth flats. For a more subtle approach, jerkbaits in natural colors are doing well. Soft plastics like tube jigs and Ned rigs rigged on 10lb moss green PowerPro braid with a fluorocarbon leader are solid bets as the water gets clearer with the fall drawdown. Fish are a bit line-shy this time of year, so finesse pays off, especially in clear areas. On the predator side, muskie are waking up, especially north of the ferry crossing and the Inland Sea. North basin green weed beds and edges are reliable if you’re throwing big glide baits or soft shine gliders—Paddle Junkie just highlighted the Savage Gear 3D Soft Shine Glide as a top pick for tempting picky pike and muskies. Numbers-wise, anglers are reporting consistent action—multiple bass each trip, with some topping three pounds, and a few bonus walleye in the mix. If you’re set on sturgeon, success has been limited. The fall cold snap put the bite down, but there’s always a shot for the patient—hit deep holes near the mouth of the Richelieu. Hot spots for today: - The rocky drop-offs off Valcour Island—smalls have stacked up there with the temps dropping. - The weed beds north of th This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.