Lake Champlain Fishing Report: Springtime Bounty on the Water

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for April 18, 2025.

It is a picture-perfect spring morning on the lake, with sunrise at 5:56 AM and sunset at 7:41 PM, offering a full day of calm and mild weather. The water temperature is still cool but warming nicely, and winds are light, making for ideal spring fishing conditions[4][6].

Fish activity is way up across the lake. Anglers are reporting strong catches of both largemouth and smallmouth bass, especially in the southern lake near Chimney Point and Shelburne Bay. The pre-spawn bite is on—skilled folks have been boating as many as 50 to 75 bass a day staging in the shallows and rocky shorelines. Try slow-rolled spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, and crayfish-patterned crankbaits with some chartreuse for best results. Deep water drop-offs and the edges of submerged vegetation are definitely holding fish right now[4][7][10].

Lake trout and landlocked salmon are also coming to the net in good numbers. The lakers are cruising deeper humps and ledges in the midsection of the lake, hitting on jigged dead alewife in roughly 20 feet of water. Salmon are active near the mouths of tributaries like the Winooski and Ausable Rivers, as well as along the edge of Mallett’s Bay. Trolling spoons near these mouths or working flat lines off big boards with Smithwicks or Stingray-sized spoons have both been very productive this week[1][2][4][7].

Northern pike and crappie remain active in the weedy shallows and sheltered back bays, especially South Bay and Bulwagga Bay. For pike, toss large spoons or try live bait in coves. Crappie are taking small jigs or live minnows in shallow, brushy water[4][7].

Recent catches reported include bass, lake trout, salmon, pike, and crappie—no shortage of mixed-bag action. Reports of 2-4 pound landlocked salmon and lakers up to and over 10 pounds have come in, with consistent bass in the 2-5 pound range[2][4][8].

Hotspots to hit today are:
- Chimney Point and Shelburne Bay for bass
- Mid-lake ledges from Westport to Cumberland Head for lake trout
- Winooski River and Ausable River mouths for salmon
- Mallett’s Bay and Bulwagga Bay for multi-species and crappie

Best lures to have on hand are spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, shallow diving crankbaits, and trolling spoons in silver, blue, and chartreuse patterns. Don’t forget some dead alewife or live minnows if you’re targeting lake trout or crappie[4][7][10].

Tides are barely a factor, but for the record, the high is around 2:30 PM and the low just after 10 AM—won’t make much difference for most tactics[6].

Get out and enjoy these prime conditions—Lake Champlain is fishing as good as it gets right now. Tight lines!