Lake Champlain Fall Fishing Report: Trout, Salmon, and Bass Heating Up

Good morning, anglers – Artificial Lure here with your November 1st fishing report from in and around Lake Champlain, straddling Vermont and New York.

We’re waking up to classic fall weather: brisk air temps in the low 40s climbing into the low 50s by mid-afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and the tail end of those fiery fall colors hanging on, especially on the Vermont side, as noted by Parade Magazine’s rundown of autumn foliage destinations. Wind out of the northwest at 9 to 12 mph is pushing a little chop across the main lake today, so bundle up, keep that hood handy, and mind your boat position on open stretches.

Sunrise came around 7:28am, and sunset will be about 5:38pm tonight. While Lake Champlain’s water levels and currents are mostly wind-driven, not tidal, look for slightly increased flow in narrows and tributary mouths after recent rains. November often means a bump in lake trout and landlocked salmon activity, and this week’s cool snap has really started to kick up the bite.

Let’s talk fish: in the past several days, reports from local tackle shops and seasoned anglers confirm that lake trout action is heating up along deeper drops near Split Rock, Thompson’s Point, and around the Four Brothers Islands. Anglers vertical jigging with heavy spoons, white tubes, and Bucktail jigs tipped with smelt-colored plastics are seeing steady action in 60 to 100 feet of water – some fish pushing the 8lb mark.

The landlocked salmon bite is also ramping up, especially early and late in the day. Trolling small stickbaits in silver/blue or firetiger patterns, or running live or dead smelt behind small dodgers, is producing fish along the New York shore from Port Henry up toward Barber Point – expect mostly 18" to 22" fish, with a few pushing 5 pounds.

For bass, the season’s winding down but don’t count them out. Smallmouth are stacking along deeper rocky points and humps, especially between Ferrisburgh and Button Bay. Ned rigs, blade baits, and football jigs in green pumpkin remain top producers, and you can catch a mixed bag of smallmouth and the occasional chunky largemouth still holding in those deeper weed edges or rocky shelves.

Yellow perch are schooling up between boats in Malletts Bay and Missisquoi Bay. Bring your light tackle, drop-shotting small minnows or waxworms, and expect limits if you’re willing to move until you find the school.

The best lures right now: heavy spoons and white tubes for deep lakers, stickbaits and small spoons for salmon, green pumpkin and brown jigs for bass, and classic perch rigs baited with worms for panfish.

For live bait, nothing beats fresh-smelt if you can get it, or medium shiners from a reputable local bait shop. Tipping artificials with a bit of worm or minnow chunk can turn short strikes into hookups, especially on those cold-front days.

A couple of today’s local hot spots: the deeper saddle just northwest of Thompson’s Point is stacked with late-season trout, while the rocky drop-offs on the north side of Valcour Island are prime for salmon chasers. For shore anglers, the Burlington waterfront has been giving up salmon and smallies in the early morning hours.

As you fish this late-fall stretch, remember to dress in layers, wear your PFD, and watch for both floating debris and quick-moving weather – safety always comes first on Champlain.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s Lake Champlain fishing report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss the latest bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Angler's artificial lore Here with your November one
fishing report from in and around Lake Champlain straddling Vermont
and New York. We're waking up to classic fall weather.
Brisk air temps in the low forties climbing into the
low fifties by mid afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies in
the tail end of those fiery fall colors hanging on,

(00:22):
especially on the Vermont side. As noted by Parade Magazine's
rundown of Autumn foliage destinations, wind out of the northwest
at nine to twelve miles per hour is pushing a
little chop across the main lake today, so bundle up,
keep that hood handy, and mind your boat position on
open stretches. Sunrise came around seven twenty eight a m.

(00:45):
And sunset will be about five thirty eight pm tonight.
While Lake Champlain's water levels and currents are mostly winder
than not tidal, look for slightly increased flow in marrows
and tributary mouths after recent rains. November often means a
bump in lake trout and lamblocked salmon activity, and this

(01:06):
week's cool snap has really started to kick up the bite.
Let's talk fish in the past several days. Reports from
local tackle shops and seasoned anglers confirmed that lake trout
action is heating up along deeper drops near Split Rock,
Thompson's Point, and around the Four Brothers Islands. Angler's vertical

(01:26):
jigging with heavy spoons, white tubes, and bucktailed jigs tipped
with smelt colored plastics are seeing steady action and sixty
to one hundred feet of water, some fish pushing the
eight pounds mark. The lamb blocked salmon bite is also
ramping up, especially early and late in the day. Trolling

(01:48):
small stick baits in silver, blue or fire tiger patterns
or running live or dead smelt behind small dodgers is
producing fish along the New York shore from Poor Henry
up toward Barber Point. Expect mostly eighteen to twenty two fish,
with a few pushing five pounds for bass. The seasons

(02:10):
winding down, but don't count them out. Smallmouth are stacking
along deeper rocky points and humps, especially between Ferrisburg and
Button Bay. Ned rigs, blade baits, and football jigs in
green pumpkin remain top producers, and you can catch a
mixed bag of smallmouth and the occasional chunky largemouth still

(02:32):
holding in those deeper reed edges or rocky shelves. Yellow
perch are schooling up between boats in Mallet's Bay and
Missus Squaw Bay. Bring your light tackle, drop shotting small
minnows or waxworms, and expect limits if you're willing to
move until you find the school. The best lures right now,
heavy spoons and white tubes for deep lakers, stick baits

(02:56):
and small spoons for salmon, green pumpkin and brown jigs,
ford ass and classic perch. Rigs baited with worms for panfish.
For live bait, nothing beats fresh smelt if you can
get it, or medium shiners from a reputable local bait shop.
Tipping artificials with a bit of worm or minnow chunk
can turn short strikes into hookups, especially on those cold

(03:19):
front days. A couple of today's local hot spots. The
Deeper Saddle just northwest of Thompson's Point, is stacked with
late season trout, while the rocky drop offs on the
north side of Valcour Island are primed for salmon chasers.
For shore anglers, the Burlington waterfront has been giving up
salmon and Smolli's in the early morning hours. As you

(03:42):
fish this late fall stretch, remember to dress in layers,
wear your PFD, and watch for both floating debris and
quick moving weather. Safety always comes first on Champlain. Thanks
for tuning in to today's Lake Champlain fishing report. Be
sure to subscrib so you never missed the latest bite.
This has been a quiet please production. For more check

(04:05):
out Quiet please dot ai