Late Summer Angling on Lake Champlain: Bass, Pike, and More

Lake Champlain served up classic late-summer action today, September 3rd, with anglers reporting a solid bite across both Vermont and New York shores. The day began with sunrise at 6:21 a.m., lighting up the lake under partly cloudy skies and highs reaching around 77°F. Light northwest winds kept the chop manageable, while stable barometric pressure put the fish in a feeding mood. Sunset this evening comes at 7:22 p.m., so there’s still plenty of time to get out there before dusk.

Water clarity held steady after last week’s rains, thanks to moderate flow from the tributaries, though watch for pockets of algae bloom in warmer, shallower bays—especially North and South Bays—following recent reports from the Adirondack Explorer. Water temperatures are hovering in the low 70s, setting up the classic late-summer transition bite. No tides on Champlain, but wind-driven currents can play a big role; today’s gentle wind had most baitfish pushed to the east side by early afternoon.

Smallmouth bass action continues to headline the chatter, especially after last weekend’s collegiate bass event out of Chazy. Jessica Hickey and her team from Paul Smith’s College put up a 20.42 lb bag, anchored by largemouths and punctuated with a couple of four-pound smallmouths. Their strategy? Deep structure fishing with finesse techniques—drop shots and Ned rigs—in 8 to 20 feet of water. The bite remained consistent through the week, with local tackle shops reporting strong sales of Z-Man TRDs and Roboworms. If you’re a power fisherman, move to moving baits early and late—crankbaits and swimbaits in shad or perch colors are producing, especially around rocky points near Valcour Island and the drop-offs off Port Henry.

For largemouth fans, the inside weedlines near Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans, and the southern bays are still holding fish. The best results have come from flipping jigs tipped with craw trailers into thick mats, or slow rolling spinnerbaits along the shady edges as the sun gets high. Don’t ignore the docks—wacky-rigged Senkos have pulled more than a few three-pounders out from under the boats this week.

Northern pike and bowfin are prowling the shallows, particularly where schools of young-of-year perch and bluegills are abundant. A few big pike have been reported on large spoons and spinnerbaits, especially in the weed-choked backwaters around Ticonderoga. If you’re targeting panfish, September bluegills are tougher but still willing, according to Outdoor News—look for them deeper and try small worms or bits of nightcrawler under a slip bobber.

Atlantic salmon are drawing more attention in the Boquet River below the Willsboro dam, where NY DEC and USFWS have started a monitoring project. While peak salmon runs are still a few weeks out, expect to see some early fish moving up if we get another rain.

Hot spots today: Crown Point Bridge area is lighting up for smallmouth and offers great access to deep and shallow structure. The flats off Isle La Motte are another can’t-miss for mixed bags, especially if you’re chasing both bass and panfish.

For bait, minnows and crayfish imitations top the list, but don’t overlook classic drop-shot plastics for smallmouth or a black-and-blue jig for largemouth. Early and late in the day, topwaters like poppers and walking baits can still trigger explosive strikes.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s Lake Champlain report. Whether you’re chasing bass, pike, or just soaking up the view, there’s plenty of action to be found on the lake right now. Remember to subscribe for more updates.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn