Lake Champlain Summer Fishing Forecast - Smallies Firing, Trout Biting Deep, Panfish Lights Up Bays

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain, Vermont/New York, fishing report for June 16, 2025.

The sun came up at 5:13 AM and will sink behind the Adirondacks tonight at 8:17 PM, giving us a long summer day on the water. The weather is a near-perfect setup: highs in the upper 60s to low 70s, mostly sunny with light south winds at 5-10 mph. No tidal influence here—just classic inland lake patterns.

Lake Champlain’s summer bite is right in the sweet spot. Water temps are trending up into the upper 60s and the fish are active across the board. Bass is still the main story: smallmouth are absolutely firing, especially along rocky points, gravel flats, and drop-offs near Valcour Island and Willsboro Bay. Recent creel surveys and area reports have anglers landing steady limits of 2- to 4-pound smallies, with the occasional 5-pounder showing up. Tube jigs in green pumpkin and drop shot rigs with 4-inch finesse worms are producing best. At mid-morning, toss a PXR Mavrik 110 Jerkbait in metallic yellow perch for aggressive cruisers. For largemouth, the weed beds and shallow bays of the Inland Sea and St. Albans Bay are productive. One local pulled in a 7.5-pound bucketmouth on a white spinnerbait worked along the weed edges near St. Albans. Early birds working topwater frogs or a Texas-rigged soft plastic before the sun gets high are cashing in.

Lake trout action remains hot in the Main Lake Basin—think 70 to 100 feet down off Burlington Ledges and Port Henry. Deep trolling with spoons, especially Michigan stingers, and flasher/fly combos in green/silver are the ticket. These lakers are chasing bait just off bottom, and the wild population continues to show strong with fewer lamprey marks this season.

For salmon, target the stretch between Split Rock and Shelburne Point at 40-60 feet down with downriggers. Flasher/fly pairs and smaller Stinger spoons are working well.

Don’t overlook panfish: bluegill and crappie are lighting up the shallow bays. Bulwagga Bay and Missisquoi Bay are go-to spots. Small jigs tipped with worm have been the most consistent producers.

A couple of hot spots for your next trip:
- Valcour Island and Willsboro Bay for smallmouth explosions
- Deep water off Burlington for lake trout and bonus salmon
- Inland Sea near St. Albans for chunky largemouth
- Bulwagga Bay for panfish action

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