"Early Spring Action: Lake Champlain Fishing Report for April 16, 2025"

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for April 16, 2025. Today’s sunrise was at 6:00 AM and sunset comes at 7:38 PM, giving us plenty of daylight to chase after spring action. The weather is classic early spring—cool mornings in the upper 30s warming into the low 50s by afternoon, light winds out of the west, partly cloudy skies, and the water still chilly but starting to push into the low 40s in the main lake.

Tidal swings are modest up on Lake Champlain, with a high tide at 1:08 PM at just under 8 feet and a low tide at 9:02 AM. While tides don’t drive the bite up here like on the coasts, they can influence shallow bay water levels and push forage closer to shore[6].

The big news is that spring fish activity is heating up fast. Anglers are reporting strong action for both smallmouth and largemouth bass, with smallmouths particularly active around rocky points and boulder fields at 12 to 20 feet. Look for largemouths working the submerged grass and shallows in protected bays, especially by midday as the sun warms things up[1][3][10]. Swim jigs and bladed jigs in green pumpkin or white are top producers. Slow-rolled crankbaits and soft plastics like Senkos along weed lines have also put fish in the boat[1][10]. The Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm on a drop shot has been deadly on smallmouths[9].

Lake trout are biting well on the deeper humps and reefs—target 60 to 100 feet down with jigging spoons or blade baits in copper or silver. Trollers pulling Sutton 71 spoons in the middle main lake, especially from Westport to Cumberland Head, have been connecting with nice lakers all week[1][7]. Forage is mainly rainbow smelt and alewife, so match your presentations accordingly.

Pike are cruising the warmer, shallow bays now, with Missisquoi Bay and Bulwagga Bay both producing. Large white paddletail swimbaits and spoons are your best bet for these aggressive spring fish[9][7].

Big perch schools have been found over mud flats and rock piles, especially in Bulwagga Bay and areas off the Grand Isle causeway. Small jigs tipped with minnow or nightcrawler are taking limits of 8- to 10-inchers[7].

Best hotspots right now include the Inland Sea for mixed bag action and Malletts Bay for numbers of both bass and panfish. The Champlain Bridge area is also hot for lake trout this week, and Shelburne Bay is kicking out some quality largemouths[7][9][10].

Final tip: Fish slow and deep until the surface temps crack 50°F consistently. Don’t be afraid to experiment with colors and retrieve speeds as water clarity is good but still chilly, and fish may be hugging bottom or just starting to move shallow.

That’s your Lake Champlain update from Artificial Lure—tight lines and enjoy the spring bite out there.