Lake Champlain fishing conditions

New York · Adirondacks / Vermont border · 271,000 acres · max 400 ft

Two lakes in one: weedy largemouth south, rocky smallmouth north

Sample dataUpdated October 19, 2026 — 3:03 AM

8.5out of 10

Current conditions

Excellent

Fishing score 85/100

How this score is calculated

Water temperature14.0 / 20

56°F and falling (-0.8°F / 3 days) against a 52–74°F active band.

Barometric pressure15.0 / 15

30.33 inHg and falling (-0.04 / 24 h).

Wind7.8 / 10

2 mph out of the E. Light wind — expect fish to be spooky in shallow water.

Water clarity8.2 / 10

7.5 ft of visibility. Good working clarity for both reaction and finesse baits.

Water level9.9 / 10

-0.1 ft from normal pool and falling (-0.3 ft / 7 days).

Moon & solunar5.2 / 10

56% illumination. Quarter moon — weaker feeding periods, rely on light change.

Seasonal pattern9.9 / 10

Fall pattern is fully established.

Sky & rain15.0 / 15

30% cloud, 50°F air, 0 in of rain in 24 h.

What should I do today?

The single highest-percentage pattern for the conditions right now.

TargetSmallmouth Bass

Depth10–25 ft

LocationRock transitions, gravel flats, current seams and offshore humps

TechniqueNed rig / drop shot

Lure2.75 in Ned-rig finesse worm

ColorGreen pumpkin / smoke purple

RetrieveDrag and pause, 3–5 second pauses

Best window5:57 AM – 8:42 AM

WhyWater temperature is holding near 56°F, so the fall pattern is stable, falling pressure ahead of a change usually triggers a feeding window.

Backup pattern

Squarebill crankbait along hard cover for largemouth bass — Milfoil in Ticonderoga and Missisquoi Bay — flipping and frogs over the grass.

Right now

Current conditions

Water temp

56°F

▼ -0.8°F / 3 days

Air temp

50°F

30% cloud cover

Wind

2 mph

Out of the E

Pressure

30.33"

▬ Falling pressure — a change is moving in

Water level

-0.1 ft

▼ -0.3 ft / 7 days

Clarity

7.5 ft

Slack water

Rain (24 h)

No meaningful runoff

Moon

56%

First Quarter · solunar 12/100

Sunrise

6:22 AM

Low-light window opens 25 min earlier

Sunset

4:53 PM

Evening window runs the last 2 hours

Season

Fall

Pattern driving today's plan

Best window

5:57 AM

Through 8:42 AM

Timing

Today's fishing windows

12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM11 PM

Solunar minor 212:04 AM – 1:04 AM
Solunar major 25:34 AM – 7:34 AM
Morning prime window5:57 AM – 8:42 AM
Sunrise6:22 AM
Solunar minor 112:04 PM – 1:04 PM
Evening window2:53 PM – 5:28 PM
Sunset4:53 PM
Solunar major 15:34 PM – 7:34 PM

Structure

Lake structure and depth zones

Typical structure profile for Lake Champlain: milfoil and grass beds in the southern lake, rocky shoals and reefs in the main lake, deep drop-offs near split rock, ticonderoga marsh and stumps. Average depth 64 ft, maximum 400 ft.

Milfoil and grass beds in the southern lake
Rocky shoals and reefs in the main lake
Deep drop-offs near Split Rock
Ticonderoga marsh and stumps
Inland Sea bays

Substrate

Bottom composition and why it matters

Rock 28%
Holds heat in spring and crayfish year-round — the first place smallmouth and staging bass set up.
Gravel 20%
Primary spawning substrate. Fish stack on gravel transitions when water hits the 58–66°F band.
Sand 16%
Clean bottom for bait schools and sight-feeding fish, but little cover — look for the edge where sand meets something else.
Vegetation 14%
Oxygen, shade and ambush cover. The outside grass edge is the highest-percentage line on most lakes.
Mud 12%
Warms fastest in late winter and holds wintering bait, but goes dead in the summer heat.
Clay 8%
Holds hard bottom in stained water and dumps the most colour after rain. Crankbait banks.
Timber 1%
Vertical cover fish use to change depth without leaving structure — key on standing timber during frontal swings.
Brush / artificial 1%
Man-made brush piles and docks concentrate crappie and bass, especially where they sit on a depth change.

Depth

Depth guide for today

Depth bands for today — adjusted for the fall pattern, current water temperature, cloud cover and wind.
Species	Depth today	Activity	Where they are here
Smallmouth Bass	10–25 ft	High	Rock and gravel humps in 12–30 ft; drop shot and tubes. The main lake north of the bridge is the classic water.
Largemouth Bass	4–14 ft	Moderate	Milfoil in Ticonderoga and Missisquoi Bay — flipping and frogs over the grass.
Northern Pike	8–22 ft	High	Weedy bays and grass edges in the southern lake.
Lake Trout	20–60 ft	Moderate	Deep water in the main lake, taken on downriggers and by jigging.

Targets

Target species at this water

Smallmouth Bass

Rock and gravel humps in 12–30 ft; drop shot and tubes. The main lake north of the bridge is the classic water.

Active temp: 52–74°F
Structure: Rock transitions, gravel flats, current seams and offshore humps
Technique: Ned rig / drop shot
Bait: Crayfish, leeches
Lure: 2.75 in Ned-rig finesse worm (2.5"–4")
Color: Green pumpkin / smoke purple
Retrieve: Drag and pause, 3–5 second pauses
Best time: Mid-morning on cold fronts, low light in summer

Holds deep rock until water hits 48°F, moves to gravel spawning flats at 58–64°F, then splits between shallow current and 20–30 ft humps through summer.

Largemouth Bass

Milfoil in Ticonderoga and Missisquoi Bay — flipping and frogs over the grass.

Active temp: 58–82°F
Structure: Submerged grass edges, main-lake points, laydowns and dock lines
Technique: Texas rig / swimbait
Bait: Live shiners
Lure: 4.5 in paddle-tail swimbait (3.5"–5")
Color: Green pumpkin / natural shad
Retrieve: Slow to moderate, bottom contact every few feet
Best time: First 3 hours after sunrise and the last 2 before dark

Stages from wintering creek channels to secondary points at 52–58°F, spawns on hard bottom at 62–68°F, then slides to grass edges and ledges once surface water passes 78°F.

Northern Pike

Weedy bays and grass edges in the southern lake.

Active temp: 48–70°F
Structure: Weed flats, bay mouths and shallow rock
Technique: Spoons / spinnerbaits over weeds
Bait: Dead smelt or herring
Lure: 3/4 oz casting spoon (4"–6")
Color: Red-white / gold
Retrieve: Fast and erratic
Best time: Mid-morning through afternoon

Spawns in shallow bays right after ice-out, holds on the first weed edge through summer and pushes shallow again in cool fall water.

Lake Trout

Deep water in the main lake, taken on downriggers and by jigging.

Active temp: 39–52°F
Structure: Deep rock humps, steep breaks and mid-lake basins
Technique: Vertical jigging tubes / downrigger trolling
Bait: Cisco or sucker meat on a jig
Lure: 3/4–1.5 oz tube jig (4"–6")
Color: White / smoke
Retrieve: Aggressive lift, let it fall on slack line
Best time: Mid-morning; depth matters more than light

Shallow rock right after ice-out, deeper each week as the surface warms, and back onto 20–40 ft reefs to spawn in October.

Patterns

Season-by-season patterns

Winter

34–36°F

Ice fishing the bays for pike and perch when they lock up; the main lake often stays open.

Spring

42–62°F

Largemouth in the warming southern marshes first; smallmouth spawn on the main-lake gravel at 58–64°F.

Summer

70–74°F

Smallmouth on 20–35 ft humps; largemouth under the thick milfoil mats. Wind picks the end of the lake you fish.

Fall

45–64°F

Smallmouth group on deep rock and feed heavily; a jerkbait and a blade bait shine as water drops under 55°F.

Outlook

7-day fishing forecast

Day	Score	Water	Wind	Pressure	Level	Clarity	Best species	Technique	Best window
Today	85Excellent	56°F	2 mph E	30.33"	-0.1 ft	7.5 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:57 AM – 8:42 AM
Tue	81Very Good	54°F	4 mph N	29.81"	+0.8 ft	7.8 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:58 AM – 8:43 AM
Wed	77Very Good	55°F	4 mph E	30.29"	-0.9 ft	6.9 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:59 AM – 8:44 AM
Thu	80Very Good	55°F	3 mph SE	30.29"	-1 ft	7.5 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:01 AM – 8:46 AM
Fri	86Excellent	57°F	20 mph E	30.04"	+0.2 ft	9.4 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:02 AM – 8:47 AM
Sat	82Excellent	55°F	6 mph NW	29.67"	+0.8 ft	7.1 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:04 AM – 8:49 AM
Sun	92Excellent	54°F	19 mph SE	30.26"	-1.3 ft	9.6 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:05 AM – 8:50 AM

Trends

Last 7 days

Water temperature

+2 °F

56°F

TueToday

Barometric pressure

+0.1 "

30.331999999999997"

TueToday

Wind

-15 mph

2 mph

TueToday

Water level

+1.2 ft

-0.1 ft

TueToday

Fishing activity

+12

TueToday

Water temperature has risen 2°F over the past week. Expect smallmouth bass to push shallower and feed earlier in the morning.

The water

About Lake Champlain

Champlain is 120 miles long and fishes like two different lakes. The southern end is shallow, weedy and full of largemouth; the main northern lake is deep, rocky and one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the East. Pike, walleye and lake trout round out the fishery.

Surface area: 271,000 acres
Max depth: 400 ft
Average depth: 64 ft
Elevation: 95 ft
Typical clarity: 10 ft
Annual level swing: 5 ft
Coordinates: 44.500, -73.300
Region: Adirondacks / Vermont border

Local knowledge

Expert notes

Champlain's wind decides your day. A hard south wind makes the southern narrows fishable and the main lake dangerous — and the reverse is true on a north wind.
Smallmouth here relate to isolated rock in an otherwise clean bottom. One boulder on a sand flat at 22 ft can hold a dozen fish.

Logistics

Access, ramps and boating

marina

Plattsburgh City Marina

North-end access to the main-lake smallmouth water.

boat ramp

Ticonderoga ramp

Southern access to the weedy largemouth water.

camping

Port Henry / Bulwagga Bay

Mid-lake access with camping and shore fishing.

Rules

Regulations

A New York or Vermont license is valid on most of Lake Champlain under a reciprocal agreement.
Black bass: season dates and limits differ between the two states' tributaries.
Lake trout and salmon have separate seasons.
Invasive species inspection is expected when moving between waters.

Always verify current regulations with the relevant state wildlife agency before fishing. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Transparency

Data sources

Where this data comes from

Conditions are modelled from each water's documented climate, structure and seasonal patterns. Modules marked “Live data integration pending” are not yet pulling from their API, so those values are clearly labelled as sample data rather than presented as real-time readings.

Weather API
Pending
NOAA / National Weather Service — Air temperature, wind, cloud cover, rainfall and barometric pressure with a 7-day forecast.
Water Level & Flow API
Pending
USGS Water Services — Reservoir stage, discharge and 7-day level trend from the nearest gauge.
Water Temperature
Pending
USGS / NOAA buoys — Surface water temperature and its multi-day trend.
Tide & Current API
Pending
NOAA CO-OPS — Tide predictions, current direction and speed for coastal zones.
Moon & Solunar
Live
Computed on-site — Moon phase, illumination and solunar major/minor periods are calculated from date and coordinates.
Water Clarity
Pending
Satellite imagery + angler reports — Visibility estimates by lake arm, refined by submitted fishing reports.
Fishing Regulations
Pending
State wildlife agencies — License, size and creel rules, linked to the official agency page for verification.
Map Data
Pending
Bathymetry + access point database — Depth zones, structure locations and boat ramps for the lake infographic.

Keep reading

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