Late Fall Transition: Smallies, Largemouth, and Walleye Tactics on Lake Champlain

Artificial Lure here with your up-to-the-minute Lake Champlain fishing report for Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Sunrise hit at 6:39 AM and we’ll see sunset right around 4:33 PM, so make the most of that shorter window. Weather’s classic late-fall Champlain: cold and crisp with dawn temps just above freezing, highs not breaking the mid-40s, and a stiff southwest wind 15–20 mph, gusting up to 30. Anchor tight or prepare to drift – it’s brisk out there. The lake’s level is low for the season, with extra-clear water and spooky fish near the banks, so wade softly and fish quietly (info via Vermont Flow Report at Snoflo and Waterbury Roundabout). No true tides on Lake Champlain, but pay attention to diminishing water levels that can make your favorite coves a little shallower today. With this blustery, dry air, don’t forget the fire danger if you’re planning a shoreline cook-up. We’re deep in the **late fall transition**. Smallmouth bass are grouped up on secondary points and rocky ledges, while largemouth bass are still holding in what’s left of thick weeds. Recent Major League Fishing events and local tournaments show Champlain’s producing plenty of two- to four-pound smallmouths, plus some bonuses in the five-pound largemouth range. Northern pike are prowling the weedy bays, and the walleye are deep, stacking on rocky humps and points in 20–35 feet. The name of the game right now is **finesse**. Drop-shot rigs with minnow-style plastics—think Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms—are working the best on those rocky drop-offs for smallmouths. The Ned rig is another heavy hitter; rig a Ned Senko on a mushroom head and hop it along the bottom on deeper flats. Swimbaits and jerkbaits like the Deps Sakamata Shad, Berkley MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad, and even a slow-rolled paddle tail have been fire, especially when you can use your sonar to target schools. If the wind lays low, don’t stash those topwaters yet: north end grass beds are still pulsing with surface bites in the first light and last hour of daylight. If you’re walleye hunting, reach for a 1/4-oz Queen Tackle Jig Head tipped with a 5-inch paddle tail, or try vertical spooning in deeper water. Live bait fans: small shiners and nightcrawlers are taking both perch and walleye. If you’re near the border, remember dead bait is off-limits until December per new Québec rules—stick with live for now. Recent catches? Local reports from Lake Champlain United and listener call-ins to the Monday weigh-ins confirm lots of three-pound class smallmouths, steady largemouths in the four-to-five-pound slot, and some healthy 15–18 inch eater-size walleyes. There’s still the odd northern pike hitting, especially around Malletts Bay and Missisquoi, but action’s tapering with the drop in water temps. If you’re looking for **hot spots**, here’s where to circle: - **Malletts Bay** on the Vermont side – secondary points and drop-offs eight to fifteen feet deep are loaded with smallmouth right now. - **The Inland Sea**, espec This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.