Fishing Season: Lake Champlain is open to fishing year round

Lake Champlain - VT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

73

Master Class Angling's Tip of the Week

It's on! Lake Champlain is showing off it's multi species bonanza right now! Almost everything is in play! Get out there and get after it! Bring a light rod for panfish action! they love little buggers, nymphs and of course little poppers!

Directions open in app

Map of Lake Champlain

5-Day Outlook as of 8/20/26

It is pretty spectacular right now. Sight fishing opportunities for bass, bowfin, carp, gar, panfish, bullhead, drum and others are everywhere you look. It is helpful to have multiple rods ready for the situations that present themselves quickly!

Techniques & Tips as of 8/20/26

Great time for topwater bugs for bass and panfish! Lots of weedbeds to hit for largemouth and rocky points are always a good choice for smallies. Panfish are everywhere and putting a nymph below the popper can help you catch lots more sunnies.

Local Species Available Lake Champlain is open to fishing year round

  • Fish Icon

    Carp

  • Fish Icon

    bass

  • Fish Icon

    northern pike

  • Fish Icon

    pickerel

  • Fish Icon

    panfish

  • Fish Icon

    perch

  • Fish Icon

    bowfin

  • Fish Icon

    freshwater drum

  • Fish Icon

    longnose gar

Master Class Angling's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Lefty’s Deceiver white 2/0
Clouser Minnow white, chartreuse an 6-2/0s
Pike Bunny red/white, Chartreu 1/0-4/0
Bead Head Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear Nymph N/A 2-10
Hex nymphs N/A 4-8
Hey Dries N/A 4-8

Lefty’s Deceiver

This Deceiver fly pattern is a proven fish-catching machine.

3.99

Item #0826

Buy Now

Master Class Angling's Recommended Gear

Description: About Lake Champlain

The shallow waters of Lake Champlain and its lower tributaries hold a bounty of warm water fishes for the fly angler. Best accessed with a canoe, kayak or other watercraft this body of water is quite foreboding but when taken in smaller segments excellent fishing can be found. Vermont Fish and Wildlife Access points are an easy means to launch along the many bays, setbacks and rivers from Missisquoi Bay in the north, south to Whitehall. Weedy wetlands and bays are home familiar fly fishing targets such as largemouth bass, several panfish, perch, pickerel, carp, and northern pike. Bowfin and longnose gar are less familiar but also worthy adversaries on fly tackle. Streamers, topwater flies, and nymphs are all effective flies, dependent on species. Rocky shorelines hold smallmouth bass, carp, perch, the occasional walleye and freshwater drum. Streamers and crawfish flies will attract attention from these fishes. Anglers targeting the larger species will want 7 to 9 weight rods and 3 to 5 weight rods are excellent for the smaller. Flooded wetlands warm quickly to 50 degrees under spring sunlight and can start fishing well as early as April, but the season is best from late May through September. Some decent fishing can also be found as late as October. Lake Champlain can provide an excellent alternative for fly anglers during spells of hot weather; several species are well adapted to warm water. Water levels recede from spring to the fall so areas fished early in the season will likely be different in the summer. Weed growth can also dramatically change how an area fishes.

Nearest Airport:

Burlington International

Best Time to Fish:

All day!

Best Stretch:

There are simply too many to list in a lake 120 miles long.