Late Summer Lake Champlain Fishing Hotspots

Good morning, anglers—this is Artificial Lure checking in with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Sunday, August 31st, 2025. It's the last weekend of the month, Labor Day's on the horizon, and the water's alive with late summer action. First, a quick look at the conditions: sunrise was at 6:15 AM, with sunset expected around 7:29 PM. We're coming off a stretch of mild, classic north country weather—a crisp morning in the low 60s warming into the mid-70s by midday under mostly sunny skies, with just a touch of breeze rippling the lake. With stable weather in the forecast and light winds from the south, today's prime for hitting the water. Now, Lake Champlain’s not tidal, but wind direction and barometric shifts have a strong effect on fish movement, especially around points and shoals. Mornings like this with calm or gently rising pressure have the smallmouth fired up early, particularly along the rocky points and breaks from Port Henry to the islands near Grand Isle. Walleye have been showing best at dawn and dusk near river mouths and drop-offs east of Plattsburgh. If you’re targeting them, try jigging with minnows or trolling crawler harnesses along the edge of deeper flats. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are chasing baitfish, especially as water temps drop and the days start shortening. Locals have found steady action on soft plastics—Rabid Baits’ Rab Shad in shad and perch colors has been hot, as Tiktok angler Jake Stem notes, especially fished on a light jighead near weedlines and hard-bottom transitions. Just yesterday, several boats fishing out of the Ticonderoga launch reported football-sized smallies and a couple of 4-pound largemouth, mostly working swimbaits and chatterbaits through early morning and just after sunrise. Key is covering water: focus on rock piles off Thompson’s Point and the scattered grass beds north of the Sandbar Causeway. Drop shot rigs with 4” worms in watermelon or green pumpkin are also pulling bass from deeper humps and offshore structure. For those after pike or pickerel, Grand Isle’s weedy bays remain productive. Spinnerbaits and flashy spoons in silver or white mimic the lake’s abundant perch and dace. Around the mouths of the Otter Creek and Missisquoi River, you’ll find bonus panfish—big bluegill and crappie falling to small jigs tipped with worm. Recent catches reported via local guides and dock talk include: - Smallmouth bass: many between 2–4 lbs, especially rocky shorelines from Westport north - Largemouth bass: action in southern bays, biggest near Ticonderoga and Benson Landing - Walleye: mostly eaters (14–18") near deeper drop-offs at dawn and dusk - Pike: steady in bays with heavy weed, fish up to 36" boated this week - Panfish: slabs up to 12" around submerged timber, Bob’s Bait and Tackle reports kids filling buckets, especially near North Hero Hot spots worth checking: - Thompson’s Point: rocky breaks for smallies, especially early or on cloudy afternoons - Grand Isle State Park: weed This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.