Late Summer Bites on Lake Champlain: Bassmaster's Guide to Fall Fishing

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Sunday, September 28th, 2025. Early autumn’s rolling in and the bite is heating up as water temps hang in the upper 60s to low 70s. Sunrise hit at 6:44 AM, sunset’s set for 6:42 PM – you're getting nearly twelve full hours to work those lines. Wind’s light out of the southeast with patchy clouds, and this comfortable, stable pattern looks good for steady fishing all day, with just enough ripple on the water to get predators moving. Lake Champlain isn't tidal, but water level's been steady with recent mild weather—no big discharges or heavy rains. Don’t count on current pushing bait; instead, focus on structure near drop-offs and weed edges. The late summer–early fall transition means schools of baitfish are up shallow in the mornings, so hit those first-light bites near rocky points and grassy flats. Local guides and weekend warriors both reported hot action on smallmouth bass, especially north of the ferry crossing at Grand Isle and around the rocky patches off Valcour Island. One local said, “Yesterday’s best fish was a chunky 4.2-pound smallie, caught on a Z-Man TRD in goby color, dragged slow along a break at 15 feet.” Largemouth have been tucking into the remaining pads and thicker milfoil around Missisquoi and the Inland Sea. They’re not busting bait every cast, but several anglers checked in 3- to 4-pounders flipping black and blue jigs paired with Zoom Z-Craw trailers, or working hollow-belly frogs early in open holes before the sun got up. Walleye are finally sharpening back up as the nights cool—target the edges of submerged humps between Colchester and the Gut Bridge, 15–25 feet down with crawler harnesses or slow-rolled swimbaits. Midweek, a regular out of Plattsburgh brought in a pair of 23-inchers just before dusk, thanks to a silver blade bait fished with short hops. Pike action’s steady up north near the Alburg Passage and in the weedy bays on the New York side. White spinnerbaits and big soft-plastic jerkbaits are both producing, especially during cloudy stretches. Crappie are stacking in brush piles at the mouths of Otter Creek and the shallower bays out east—chartreuse tube jigs under floats are your best friend if you’re after a mixed bag. The most reliable lures this weekend have been: - Ned rigs and drop shots for bass, especially in green pumpkin, goby, and smelt colors. - Black and blue jigs for bass in any thicker cover. - 3-5" paddle tail swim baits and silver blade baits for walleye and pike. - Standard live nightcrawlers on Carolina rigs for a mixed-species bite, especially when youth fishermen are in the boat. If you need a couple of true hotspots, check out the mid-lake humps off Thompson’s Point for your best shot at both bass and walleye. For a quiet, consistent shot at largemouth and a surprise bowfin or two, poke around Keeler Bay’s weedlines. As a quick heads-up, just watch for a few lingering sea lampreys in your catch—Lake Champlain’s go This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.