Fishing Season: Lake Champlain is open to fishing year round

Lake Champlain - VT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Temperature 51°

Temp:

51°

Water Temp:

45

Master Class Angling's Tip of the Week

Spring is upon us! Lake Champlain is warming up and getting ready to share its bounty! Look for the shallow wetland areas to warm up first. They can jump up 10-15 degrees in a day with good sun. Definitely a great opportunity for early bowfin or carp. Pike will follow soon!

Directions open in app

Map of Lake Champlain

Water Flow Data

Tidal Conditions

5-Day Outlook as of 5/7/24

Water temps in the shallows are reaching the magic 50 degree mark. Northern pike are on the bite well now. Bowfin are in the shallows spawning. Largemouth are staging and in prespawn mode. Lakers are still around but a bit deeper. Carp are mudding. It's a great time to be on Champlain.

Techniques & Tips as of 5/7/24

Fish rods 8-10 wt with a shorter (6 foot) leader tapered to 16-20 lb test with a wire bite tippet for pike. Fly choice should be Decievers, bunny flies, Clousers or Game Changers in the 4-6 inch range in a variety of colors. Try different retrieves to find what they like and use water temps to help.

Local Species Available Lake Champlain is open to fishing year round

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    Carp

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    bass

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    northern pike

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    pickerel

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    panfish

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    perch

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    bowfin

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    freshwater drum

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    longnose gar

Master Class Angling's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Lefty's Deceiver white 2/0
Clouser Minnow white, chartreuse an 6-2/0s
Pike Bunny red/white, Chartreu 1/0-4/0
Bead Head Soft Hackle Hare's Ear Nymph N/A 2-10
Hex nymphs N/A 4-8
Hey Dries N/A 4-8

Lefty's Deceiver

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Item #0826

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Master Class Angling's Recommended Gear

Description: About Lake Champlain

The shallow waters of Lake Champlain and its lower tributaries hold a bounty of warm water fishes for the fly angler. Best accessed with a canoe, kayak or other watercraft this body of water is quite foreboding but when taken in smaller segments excellent fishing can be found. Vermont Fish and Wildlife Access points are an easy means to launch along the many bays, setbacks and rivers from Missisquoi Bay in the north, south to Whitehall. Weedy wetlands and bays are home familiar fly fishing targets such as largemouth bass, several panfish, perch, pickerel, carp, and northern pike. Bowfin and longnose gar are less familiar but also worthy adversaries on fly tackle. Streamers, topwater flies, and nymphs are all effective flies, dependent on species. Rocky shorelines hold smallmouth bass, carp, perch, the occasional walleye and freshwater drum. Streamers and crawfish flies will attract attention from these fishes. Anglers targeting the larger species will want 7 to 9 weight rods and 3 to 5 weight rods are excellent for the smaller. Flooded wetlands warm quickly to 50 degrees under spring sunlight and can start fishing well as early as April, but the season is best from late May through September. Some decent fishing can also be found as late as October. Lake Champlain can provide an excellent alternative for fly anglers during spells of hot weather; several species are well adapted to warm water. Water levels recede from spring to the fall so areas fished early in the season will likely be different in the summer. Weed growth can also dramatically change how an area fishes.

Nearest Airport:

Burlington International

Best Time to Fish:

Fishing afternoon to evening is best for pike

Best Stretch:

There are simply too many to list in a lake 120 miles long.