Lake Champlain Fishing Update June 11, 2025: Bass Crushing Lures, Trout & Salmon Biting Deep

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for June 11th, 2025. The sun’s up early this time of year—today’s sunrise was at 5:13 AM and sunset clocks in at 8:32 PM, giving us a long, fish-filled day to work with. The weather’s treating anglers kindly: mid-60s to low 70s, partly cloudy, and just a light northwest breeze. Water temps are climbing steadily, hovering in the mid-60s across much of the lake, and that’s got the fish fired up and on the move.

Bass are still the main event—according to Outdoor News, bass remain the most sought-after species on this big border lake, and with good reason. The past week has seen phenomenal smallmouth action, especially for those hugging the rocky shorelines and points. Recent trips produced numbers: 15-20 bass per outing isn’t uncommon right now, with both largemouth and smallmouth in the mix. Central lake anglers are reporting 3-4 pound smallies, with the occasional 5-pounder showing for those putting in the work. Some smallmouth are post-spawn and feeding, while a few linger tight to beds in the cooler, northern nooks.

Lure selection: if you want smallmouth, reach for a PXR Mavrik 110 Jerkbait in Metallic Yellow Perch, or stick with the ever-reliable 5" Senko Worm in Green Pumpkin Black, rigged Texas-style. For largemouth, the early morning bite is picking up on white spinnerbaits and topwater frogs, especially around the weed edges in the inland sea and the southern bays. Tube jigs and drop shot rigs with 4" finesse worms continue to put fish in the boat.

Lake trout anglers are having a great start to summer, with reports of strong numbers from Westport up to Cumberland Head. Find them in 70-100 feet, with the productive bite often right off the bottom. Spoons trolled deep on downriggers are your best bet. Salmon anglers: work the 40-60 foot zone between Split Rock and Shelburne Point, running green/silver flasher and fly combos or Michigan stinger spoons.

For panfish, shallow bays like Bulwagga Bay and Missisquoi Bay are producing bluegill and crappie on small jigs tipped with worms.

Hot spots for today: target rocky drop-offs near Valcour Island and Willsboro Bay for smallmouth, or work the weed beds at St. Albans Bay and the southern end of the Inland Sea for largemouth. For lake trout, deep water off Burlington and Port Henry is the ticket.

No tides on Champlain, so timing is all about light and wind. Early and late in the day remain prime windows.

That wraps up the action from Lake Champlain! Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.