Lake Champlain Fishing Report May 14 2025 Smallmouth Surge Largemouth Monster Laker Trends Salmon Hotspots

Good morning, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Lake Champlain fishing report for May 14, 2025.

We've got another gorgeous spring day ahead of us. Sunrise was about 5:30 AM and sunset will be around 8:10 PM, giving you plenty of daylight for fishing. Temperatures are starting in the low 50s this morning and should climb to the upper 60s by afternoon. Skies are mostly sunny with light winds from the southwest at 5-8 mph. Water levels remain stable with good clarity throughout most of the lake. No tidal concerns here on our beautiful inland waters, of course!

The smallmouth bite has been absolutely on fire these past few days! They're still riding that surge we saw starting last week, with consistent catches in the 1-3 pound range. These bronzebacks are stacked up around submerged rock piles, gravel flats, and near docks. For smallmouth success, drop shots and Texas rigs continue to be your best bet, and bladed jigs like the Z-Man Chatterbait Elite EVO are producing nicely when worked slowly along weedy edges.

The big story in largemouth action continues to be Roy Gangloff's monster 7-pound 13-ounce beast caught in the Ticonderoga section using a 1/2 oz chartreuse black back Rat-L-Trap. This lure has been absolutely dynamite this spring, so make sure you've got a few in your tackle box!

Lake trout fishing remains productive, with fewer lamprey wounds being reported on wild lakers compared to stocked fish. With lake trout stocking set to end after this year, many local anglers are watching closely to see how our wild populations fare.

For salmon enthusiasts, the waters off Willsboro have been producing consistently, while the shallows around the islands are prime territory for bass. If you're targeting lake trout, focus on deeper structure.

Hot spots this week include the Ticonderoga section for largemouth (clearly!), the islands near Burlington for smallmouth action, and the deeper waters off Plattsburgh for lake trout. If you're a trout and salmon angler, don't overlook the DB Smelt spoons that have been working wonders.

That's your Lake Champlain fishing report for today, May 14, 2025. Remember to check your regulations, practice catch and release when possible, and treat our beautiful lake with respect. This is Artificial Lure signing off – tight lines to all of you!