Late October Chop on Lake Champlain: Bundling Up for Bronzebacks, Walleye & Sturgeon

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for October 28th, 2025. Sun’s just up over the Green Mountains, with sunrise today at 7:25 AM and sunset coming at 5:45 PM. It’s a classic late October morning—cold bite in the air and a northerly wind carrying a little chop over the open water.

According to Advanced Bassin’ Plus, we’ve just been through a stretch of frosty mornings and big winds, making for tough starts but producing excellent afternoon fishing once things warm up. Recent outings saw anglers hammering solid numbers of smallmouth with plenty of those chunky “football” bronzebacks in the mix. The morning bite’s been slow, but by midday the bass are firing up, with persistent folks pulling big smallies and even the odd sturgeon near deeper drop-offs.

Weather-wise, bundle up for that early cast. We’re starting below 40°F and warming only into the low 50s this afternoon. The northwest winds are steady around 10-15 mph, so expect a little work keeping boat control, especially in open stretches like the Inland Sea and south of the bridge near Chimney Point.

Now—Lake Champlain doesn’t have true tides, but you’ll still want to mind those wind-driven currents and seiche effects, especially after last week’s blow. As always this time of year, safety is paramount: two canoeists capsized just a week ago off North Hero, making a grim reminder to respect the lake and wear your PFD, especially as water temps drop fast (Vermont State Police and Environmental Wire Vermont).

Most folks are targeting bass this week, and the winning lures are classic for the season. The big producers:
- **Drop-shot rigs** with Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worms or Flatnose Minnow
- **Marabou jigs** (1/6 oz, black or brown) along sunny rocky points
- **Blade baits** and **finesse football jigs** over 15-30 feet of water

If you’re working the flats or deeper edges near rock piles, a 3.5-inch tube jig—pumpkinseed or green pumpkin—on a 3/8 to 1/2-ounce head is a solid choice. A subtle swimbait bite is also producing, especially midday once the sun wakes up the baitfish. Carolina rigs with creature baits are another solid bet for deeper humps and current seams.

For **live bait**, hard-to-beat a lively shiner hooked just off the bottom for smallmouth, or try a nightcrawler for bonus walleye around dusk if you set up near the mouths of the Missisquoi or Lamoille rivers.

Walleye and the occasional northern pike are turning up, especially on jig-and-minnow combos fished on the edge of breaklines. Guides from the Montreal area report that when the wind stacks up bait, you’ll find bass and even an occasional big sturgeon, especially out by the Gut and the deeper holes north of Grand Isle.

Best hotspots this week:
- **The Gut** between South Hero and North Hero—rock piles and current edges stacked with smallies
- **Valcour Island Drop-offs**—classic midday smallmouth bite, especially on the east banks
- **Inland Sea, north of Savage Island**—great bet for deeper bass once the wind dies down after lunch

If you get blown off the big water, Shelburne Bay’s coves and docks are always good for a late fall swipe at largemouth, especially with a slow-rolled spinnerbait or jerkbait.

It’s peak fall fishing—layer up, work slow and stay persistent. Most of all, take care out there: temps are dropping, winds are stiff, and the big lake demands respect this time of year. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for the latest Lake Champlain reports. 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 lore. Here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for
October twenty eighth, twenty twenty five. Suns just up over
the Green Mountains, with sunrise today at seven to twenty
five am and sunset coming at five point forty five pm,
so it's a classic late October morning, cold bite in
the air and a northerly wind carrying a little chop
over the open water. According to Advanced bass and Plus,

(00:23):
we've just been through a stretch of frosty mornings and
big winds, making for tough starts but producing excellent afternoon
fishing once things warm up. Recent outings saw anglers hammering
solid numbers of smallmouth with plenty of those chunky football
bronze backs in the mix. The morning bite's been slow,
but by midday the bass are firing up, with persistent

(00:44):
folks pulling big smallies and even the odd sturgeon near
deeper drop offs. Weatherwise, bundle up for that early cast.
We're starting below forty degrees fahrenheit and warming only into
the low fifties this afternoon. The northwest winds are steady
around ten to fifteen miles per hour, so expect a
little work keeping boat control especially in open stretches like

(01:05):
the Inland Sea and south of the bridge near Chimney Point.
Now Lake Champlain doesn't have true tides, but you'll still
want to mind those wind driven currents and ch effects,
especially after last week's blow. As always this time of year,
safety is paramount. Two canoeist capsized just a week ago
off North Hero, making a grim reminder to respect the

(01:28):
lake and bury your peep d plank signs, plank stars,
especially as water temps drop fast. Vermont State Police and
Environmental Wire Vermont. Most folks are targeting bass this week,
and the winning lures are classic for the season. The
big producers watch shot rigs with Berkeley power Bait, max
scent flatworms or flat nose minnow marraboo jigs one six

(01:52):
ounce black or brown along sunny rocky points, blade baits
and finesse football jigs over fifteen to thirty ft of water.
If you're working the flats or deeper edges near rock piles,
a three point five aged tube jig, punkin seed or
green pumpkin on a three eighth to one half ounce
heads a solid choice. A subtle swim bait bite is

(02:13):
also producing, especially midday once the sun wakes up the
bait fish. Carolina rigs with creature baits are another solid
bet for deeper humpsy current seams for also live bait.
Hard to beat a lively shiner hook just off the
bottom for small mouth, or try a nightcrawler for bonus
walleye around dusk if you set up near the mouths
of the missus Quaw or the Moyle Rivers. While i

(02:36):
and the occasional Northern pike are turning up, especially on
Jiggin Minto combos fished on the edge of break lines.
Guides from the Montreal area report that when the wind
stacks up bait, you'll find bass and even an occasional
big sturgeon, especially out by the gut in the deeper
holes north of Grand Isle. Best hot spots this week
the gut between South Hero and North Hero. Rock piles

(02:59):
and current edges stacked with smallies. Valcour Island drop offs
classic midday smallmouth bite, especially on the east banks Inland
Sea north of Savage Island. Great bet for deeper bass
once the wind dies down after lunch if you get
blown off the big water. Shelburne Bays, coves and docks

(03:19):
are always good for a late fall swipe at Largemouth,
especially with a slow rolled spinner bait or jerk bait.
It's peak fall fishing. Layer up, work slow, and stay persistent.
Most of all, take care out there. Temps are dropping,
winds are stiff, and the big Lake demands respect this
time of year. Thanks for tuning in and don't forget

(03:41):
to subscribe for the latest late Champlain reports. This has
been a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet
please dot ai