Vermont · United States

Lake Champlain VT fishing forecast

74 Good of 100

Lake Champlain VT is a freshwater fishing spot in Vermont, United States. Anglers here target Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch. The most productive months are typically May, June, July, August, September.

Quick answer

Best monthsMay, June, July, August

Top speciesSmallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike

Score now74/100

Local rulesUnited States — Federal Waters

Today’s verdict

Ranks #177 of 408 spots FishRadar scored worldwide today

Trending up — 9 points above this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±7 points, from 7 live signals

Helping the score most

Water temperature+15.0Waves+15.0Wind+12.0

Pressure trend

Pressure data unavailable

Best window today

05:00 · Light wind (0 km/h) and calm seas

Next solunar peak

dawn 11:03

Current conditions

Sea surface temp	14.6 °C
Wind	15 km/h from S, gusting 22 km/h
Pressure	1031 hPa
Cloud cover	100%
Chlorophyll	5.40 mg/m³
Salinity	0.0 PSU
UV index	0
Wind sea	0.0 m
Ground swell	0.0 m at 0 s

The water here is 2.3 °C cooler than the October average of 16.9 °C. Cooler-than-normal water slows the bite for warm-water species and holds cool-water species shallower for longer. The water is mixed to about 45.0 m, so surface temperature carries well down the water column.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Lake Champlain VT

Lake Champlain VT currently scores 74 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 14.6 °C. 7 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +15.0: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Waves +15.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +12.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Barometric pressure +4.4: falling pressure often triggers feeding
Moon phase +3.0: lunar feeding rhythm
Gust factor +2.8: gustiness versus steady wind

What’s biting now

The model expects today: walleye, smallmouth-bass, yellow-perch, largemouth-bass, northern-pike, sauger, common-carp, european-carp-entry

Bite windows

Moon

New Moon · 0% lit

Solunar day rating

70 / 100

Best months for Lake Champlain VT:

Score history at this spot

30 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-09-21, 78/100

15 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

About this spot

Water type

Lake · Freshwater

Lakes have no tide, so target structure, drop-offs, and seasonal thermoclines where fish concentrate by depth and temperature.

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · beach

What you can catch

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu
Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides
Northern Pike

Esox lucius
Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens

Best months by species at Lake Champlain VT

Smallmouth BassMicropterus dolomieu
Largemouth BassMicropterus salmoides
Northern PikeEsox lucius
Yellow PerchPerca flavescens

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

U.S. federal fisheries authority

United States — Federal Waters

Licensing:

saltwater-recreational — residents Federal Recreational Fishing License may be required in addition to state license when fishing federal (EEZ) waters., non-residents Same as residents. Many states require their own license even in federal waters.

Some rules may have changed since our last verification — always confirm with the authority before you fish.

FishRadar regulations are summaries only. Federal and state waters rules overlap — always verify current federal and state agency rules before fishing.