Lake Champlain Fishing Report: Sturgeon Moon Rises, Bass and Walleye Bite Heats Up

Artificial Lure here with your August 8th Lake Champlain fishing report—sunrise lit up the lake at 5:44 AM and we’re looking at a classic late-summer pattern, with temps starting off in the low 60s and highs pushing into the upper 70s by afternoon, under partly cloudy Vermont skies. Winds will be a gentle 5-10 mph out of the west, which means you’ll find a perfect ripple on most open water stretches. Heading into the evening, expect sunset at 8:08 PM, and don’t forget, that big Sturgeon Moon is peaking tomorrow, but moonrise tonight (8:07 PM) should push some fantastic after-dusk activity—especially for catfish and walleye, which historically bite well under a bright August moon according to local tradition and reports from North American fishing tribes.

Water temps on Champlain are hovering right around 74-76°F on the surface, creating lively but scattered bait activity. There’s still a decent push of larger bunker in deeper water, but more bait is shifting to bay anchovies and silversides, and those are stacked up in shallower weed beds and along the drop-offs near Shelburne Bay and the Sand Bar. These are drawing in big smallmouth and largemouth bass, especially as the sun gets higher.

As for catch reports, this past week anglers have bagged plenty of chunky smallmouth, with numerous limits in the 15-20 pound range, especially up by the mid-lake humps and rocky points from Valcour Island down to Split Rock. A couple of locals weighed in smallmouth topping four pounds, and a few largemouth over five came out of heavy weeds in Carry Bay and Missisquoi Bay. The north end of the lake is seeing solid Northern Pike action in the mornings, and bowfin have been surprisingly active in the thickest shallows near Dead Creek.

Best baits right now are dark-colored Texas-rigged worms—10-inch Power Bait or Yum models for thick weeds, and a compact black-and-blue jig for punching into the milfoil. For open water and rocky shoreline, it’s tough to beat a drop-shot rig with a natural smelt-colored Berkley Gulp or Z-Man Finesse TRD—these are killing it on rocky shelfs and points. Early mornings and dusky evenings, toss a topwater Spook or popper if you see shad flipping on the surface. For live bait, local shops report golden shiners and sucker minnows are the go-tos for pike and walleye, especially near river mouths and deeper bends. Nightcrawlers on a slip sinker rig are working wonders for channel cats after dark.

Hot spots today: Shelburne Bay is prime, especially at dawn before the boaters roll in. The Sand Bar causeway area is stacking up fish thanks to current and bait clusters—expect mixed bags, from bass to perch and the occasional big walleye. South of the bridge, check the weed edges along Cole Bay and hit the Missisquoi River outflow if you want a shot at trophy pike and the rare bowfin.

Remember, the Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management Area on the New York side offers easy access and a shot at both bass and pike, plus a chance for panfish if you want to bring the family. Bring abrasion-resistant line—both braid and fluorocarbon—since these weed beds are thick and fish are not shy about digging deep when hooked.

Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Champlain angling report—I’m Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest conditions, tips, and catches straight from the lake. 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):
Artificial lure. Here with your August eighth Lake Champlain Fishing report.
Some rise lit up the lake at five forty four am,
and we're looking at a classic late summer pattern with
temps starting off in the low sixties and highs pushing
into the upper seventies by afternoon under partly cloudy Vermont skyes.
Winds will be a gentle five to ten miles per
hour out of the west, which means you'll find a

(00:22):
perfect ripple on most open water stretches heading into the evening.
Expects sunset at eight oh eight pm, and don't forget
that big sturgeon moon is peaking tomorrow, but moonrise tonight
eight o seven pm should push some fantastic after dusk activity,
especially for catfish and wally, which historically bite well under

(00:42):
a bright August moon. According to local tradition and reports
from North American fishing tribes, water tempts on Champlain are
hovering right around seventy four to seventy six degrees fahrenheit
on the surface, creating lively but scattered bait activity. There's
still a decent push of larger bunk anchor in deeper water,
but more bait is shifting to bay anchovies and silversides,

(01:05):
and those are stacked up in shallower reed beds and
along the drop offs near Shelbourne Bay and the Sandbar.
These are drawn in big small mouth and largemouth bass,
especially as the sun gets higher. As for catch reports,
this past week, angers have bagged plenty of chunky smallmouth
with numerous limits in the fifteen to twenty pound range,

(01:26):
especially up by the mid lake humps and rocky points
from Valcour Island down to Split Rock. A couple of
locals weighed in small mouth topping four pounds, and a
few large mouth over five came out of heavy weeds
in Carrie Bay and Missus Squaw Bay. The north end
of the lake is seeing solid northern pike action in
the mornings, and bof in have been surprisingly active in

(01:48):
the thickest shallows near Dead Creek. Best baits right now
are dark colored Texas rigged worms, ten inch power bait
or young models for thick weeds, and a compact blackened
jig for punching into the millfoil for open water and
rocky shoreline. It's tough to beat a drop shot rig
with a natural smelt colored Berkeley Gold or Z man

(02:09):
finesse trd. These are killing it on rocky Shelson points
early mornings and dusky evenings. Toss a top water spook
or popper if you see shad flipping on the surface
for live bait. Local shops report golden shiners and sucker
minnows are the go tos for pike and walleye, especially
near river mouse and deeper bends. Night callers on a

(02:32):
slip sinker wig are working wonders for channel cats after
dark hotspots. Today, Shelbourne Bay is prime, especially at dawn
before the boaters roll in. The sandbar causeway area is
stacking up fish thanks to current and date clusters. Expect
mixed bags from bass to perch and the occasional big walleye.

(02:52):
South of the bridge. Check the weed edges along Coal
Bay and hit the missus Quah River outflow if you
want a shot at trophy pike and the remember the
Asible Marsh Wildlife Management Area on the New York side
offers easy access and a shot at both bass and pike,
plus a chance for panfish. If you want to bring
the family, bring a Brasian resistant line both braid and fluorocarbon.

(03:17):
Since these weed beds are thick, and fish are not
shy about digging deep when hooked. Thanks for tuning into
your Lake Champlain Angling Report. I'm artificial lure. Don't forget
to subscribe for the latest conditions, tips and catches straight
from the lake. This has been a quiet please production.
For more check out Quiet Please dot ai