Fishing Season: Lake Champlain is open to fishing year round

Lake Champlain - VT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

50

Master Class Angling's Tip of the Week

Backwaters! They are warming up fast and the fish are coming out to play! Shallow dark backwaters will hold a wide variety of fishes that you will be able to sight fish!

Directions open in app

Map of Lake Champlain

Water Flow Data

Tidal Conditions

5-Day Outlook as of 5/19/26

USE CAUTION! The lake is very cold still! Dress appropriately, wear a life vest!!! Lakers are kicking around but the widely variable winds have them more scattered than is normal. Pike will be turning on soon! Time to get ready for the best predator action of the year! The backwaters are coming alive and you’ll be finding big bowfin cruising around. Bass will be spawning shortly as well!

Techniques & Tips as of 5/19/26

For pike and pickerel- 8 or 9 wt rod with a floating or intermediate line. Clouser half and halfs and Game Changers are deadly. Bowfin, bass and carp are cruising around in the shallows. Choose appropriate flies and you’ll have great opportunities!

Local Species Available Lake Champlain is open to fishing year round

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    Carp

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    bass

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    northern pike

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    pickerel

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    panfish

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    perch

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    bowfin

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    freshwater drum

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    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

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Item #0826

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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.