Fall Fishing Frenzy on Lake Champlain: Massive Bass, Hungry Pike, and Thick Panfish Bites

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for Monday, October 27th, 2025. Sunrise hit us right at 7:20 AM, and we’re looking at a classic crisp, late-October morning in the valley—mid-40s at dawn, highs creeping into the upper 50s as the day goes on. Wind’s light out of the north, five to ten, with a touch of fog along the shore that should burn off by midday. Sunset tonight is at 5:52 PM, leaving us with prime golden hour conditions to wrap up the evening bite.

No tides to track on the lake today, but water level’s steady, and clarity is better than you’d expect after that last bit of rain—slight stain up north near the Missisquoi, clear as usual closer to Thompson’s Point and down by the broad lake[4].

Fish activity has kicked up nicely. According to the latest podcast updates from QP Daily, **smallmouth bass** are on the chew—fall feeding frenzy with big, aggressive strikes, especially around rocky points and deeper breaks near North Hero and the inland sea. Folks are consistently boating smallies in the 2.5 to 4 lb range, with occasional bruisers pushing five. **Largemouth** are showing good numbers in the southern bays: Benson Landing, Larabee's Point, and Four Brothers Islands are hot. Most catches have been chunky, solid keepers around 15–18 inches.

Walleye are reported moving shallow with the cooling nights—nightcrawlers and jigs tipped with chartreuse have brought in a handful of good eaters around the mouths of the Winooski and Ausable rivers. **Northern pike** are lurking edges in Malletts Bay and Missisquoi, slamming big spinnerbaits and swimjigs in the afternoon.

Perch schools are thick off St. Albans and Isle La Motte, and the panfish bite is strong—yellow perch and pumpkinseeds, especially, are making for quick buckets on drop-shot rigs with bits of worm.

Successful anglers have been throwing:
- **Topwater walkers and poppers** early, especially “bone” or silver colors. The Heddon Super Spook and Rapala Skitter Pop are getting crushed at dawn by both bass species[1][4].
- **Ned rigs and tube jigs** on rock piles, using green pumpkin and smelt hues.
- **Deep-diving jerkbaits** (like the Megabass Vision) and suspending shad raps in 8–20 feet for actively chasing smallmouth.
- In the weeds and thick cover, **jigs with trailers** (beaver-style or craw) in black/blue or natural browns.
- For pike and pickerel: white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, and on cloudier afternoons, big swim shads.
- Live bait continues to hook up: shiners and crawlers under slip-bobbers on the edges, especially at sunrise and dusk.

Recent catch numbers have been especially impressive on the broad lake around Valcour Island and Shelburne Bay. Social posts and guide calls over the weekend confirm dozens of smallmouth in short outings, with boats reporting solid stringers of both species. A couple of local clubs even weighed in largemouths topping 24 lbs for five fish—one confirmed video from last week showing a single Champlain lunker tipping 8 lbs[9].

For folks looking for hot spots today:
- **Four Brothers Islands:** always reliable for mixed bags—strong largemouth and smallie action, plus a shot at pike.
- **Thompson’s Point/Charlotte:** big smallmouth riding bait balls, especially on windier days.
- **Missisquoi Bay:** top for panfish, bonus pike, and a decent perch haul.

That’s the story for Lake Champlain, October 27th—classic fall conditions, big bites, and fantastic scenery to go with it. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s Lake Champlain Fishing Report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss the latest, brightest updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lore. Here with your Lake Champlain Fish and report
from Monday, October twenty seventh, twenty twenty five. Sunrise hit
us right at seven twenty am, and we're looking at
a classic crisp late October morning in the valley, mid
forties at dawn, highs creeping into the upper fifties as
day goes on. Winds light out of the north five
to ten with a touch of fog along the shore

(00:21):
that should burn off by midday. Sunset tonight is at
five fifty two pm, leaving us with prime Golden hour
conditions to wrap up the evening bite. No tides to
track on the lake today, but water level steady and
clarity is better than you'd expect after that last bit
of rain. Slight stain up north near the missus Quah
clear as usual. Closer to Thompson's Point and down by
the Broad Lake, fish activity is kicked up nicely. According

(00:45):
to the latest podcast updates from QP Daily, small mouth
bass are on the chew fall feeding frenzy, with big,
aggressive strikes, especially around rocky points and deeper breaks near
North Hero and the Inland Sea. Folks are consistently boating
smallies from the two point five to four pound range,
with occasional bruisers pushing five. Largemouth are showing good numbers

(01:06):
in the southern bays. Benson Landing, Larabie's Point and Four
Brothers Islands are hot. Most catches have been chunky solid
keepers around fifteen eighteen inches. Walleye are reported moving shallow
with the cooling nights. Night crawlers and jigs tipped with
chartreuse have brought in a handful of good eaters around
the mouths of the Wanouski and ausible Rivers. Northern pike

(01:29):
are lurking edges in Mallet's Bay and missus Quaw slamming
big spinner baits and swim jigs in the afternoon. Perch
schools are thick off Saint Albans and ile LaMotte, and
the panfish bite is strong. Yellow perch and punkin seeds
especially are making for quick buggets on drop shot rigs
with bits of worm. Successful anglers have been throwing perch,

(01:53):
wind bee, top water walkers and poppers early, especially bone
or silver colors. The head and super spook and rapaula
skitter pop are getting crushed at dawn by both bass species.
Four med rigs and tube jigs on rock piles using
green punkin and smelt hues, deep diving jerk baits like

(02:15):
the megabass vision and suspending shad wraps and eight twenty
feet for actively chasing smallmouth in the weeds in thick
cover jigs with trailers beaver style or craw in black
blue or natural browns for pike and pickerel, white chartery
spinner baits, and on cloudier afternoons, big swim sheds. Live

(02:37):
bait continues to hook up shiners and crawlers under slip
bobbers on the edges, especially at sunrise and dusk. Recent
catch numbers have been especially iggressive on the broad Lake
around Valcore Island and Shelbourne Bay. Social posts and guide
calls over the weekend confirm dozens of smallmouth and short outings,
with boats reporting solid stringers of both species. A couple

(03:01):
of local clubs even weighed in large mouths, topping twenty
four pounds for five fish. One confirmed video from last
week showing a single Champlain lunker tipping eight pounds for
folks looking for hotspots today, the Four Brothers Islands always
reliable for mixed bags, strong largemouth and smally action plus

(03:22):
a shot at Pike Thompson's Point, Charlotte, big smallmouth riding
bait balls, especially on windier days. Missus Quahbay top for panfish,
top for panfish, and a decent parch haul. That's the
story for Lake Champlain October twenty seventh. Classic fall conditions,
big bites, and fantastic scenery to go with it. Thanks

(03:45):
for tuning in to artificial lores Lake Champlain Fishing Report.
Be sure to subscribe so you never miss the latest,
brightest updates. This has been a quiet please production. For
more check out Quiet please dot ai