It’s a fishing day

Lake Champlain (Burlington) fishing conditions · Vermont

Now until 6 amWalleye

The bite peaks at 84. Water is 54°, inside their 50–72° range. Wind builds to 18 mph out of the north by tonight at 9:00 pm.

Log a trip here
Right now: 84 for walleye, worth the trip · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Walleye, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 843 am
  2. 84
  3. 84
  4. 766 am
  5. 66
  6. 74
  7. 749 am
  8. 74
  9. 74
  10. 7412 pm
  11. 74
  12. 64
  13. 643 pm
  14. 64
  15. 74
  16. 746 pm
  17. 74
  18. 66
  19. 519 pm
  20. 66
  21. 66
  22. 66Tue
  23. 74
  24. 74
  25. 743 am
  26. 74
  27. 74
  28. 746 am
  29. 74
  30. 74
  31. 749 am
  32. 74
  33. 74
  34. 7412 pm
  35. 74
  36. 74
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
54°F

Walleye range 50–72°

Wind
14 mph

From the south

Light
Dark

Sunrise 7:21 am

Sky
Partly Cloudy

No rain expected

Air
47°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Vermont non-tidal regulations for these waters.

Walleye

Walleye

Sander vitreus

84Worth the tripNow until 6 am

Water

54°
40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside walleye's active range. Holds 10–40 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Vermont and Lake Champlain: 18" minimum, 3 walleye a day, from the first Saturday in May to Mar 15; catch and release with artificial lures otherwise.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Vermont non-tidal

Season here: May–Jun, Sep–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on walleye

Northern Pike

Northern pike

Esox lucius

84Worth the tripNow until 6 am

Water

54°
40°50–70° · ideal 63°80°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside northern pike's active range. Holds 4–30 ft down.

Keep

20" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Vermont: 20" minimum, 5 northern pike a day, open all year. Missisquoi Bay on Lake Champlain is legendary pike water.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Vermont non-tidal

Season here: Year-round. More on northern pike

Landlocked Salmon

Landlocked salmon

Salmo salar

84Worth the tripNow until 6 am

Water

54°
28°38–60° · ideal 50°70°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside landlocked salmon's active range. Holds 5–70 ft down.

Keep

17" minimum · 2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Vermont: 17" minimum; 2 lake trout and salmon a day combined, harvest Jan 1–Mar 15 and from the second Saturday in April to Oct 31. Lake Champlain is 15" and open all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Vermont non-tidal

Season here: Sep–Jun. More on landlocked salmon

Yellow Perch

Yellow perch

Perca flavescens

84Worth the tripNow until 6 am

Water

54°
35°45–70° · ideal 58°80°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside yellow perch's active range. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

50 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Vermont: 50 panfish a day in total (no more than 25 crappie), no minimum on perch. Lake Champlain has no perch limit.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Vermont non-tidal

Season here: Apr–Jun, Oct–Jan, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on yellow perch

Common Carp

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

84Worth the tripNow until 6 am

Water

54°
42°52–86° · ideal 72°96°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside common carp's active range. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Vermont: carp, suckers and cull fish have no size limit and no daily limit, all year, on rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Vermont non-tidal

Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Jun–Oct, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on common carp

Lake Trout

Lake trout

Salvelinus namaycush

48Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

54°
30°40–52° · ideal 48°62°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Above lake trout's active range (40–52°F) — fish move deep. Holds 30–200 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 2 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Vermont lakes: 18" minimum; 2 lake trout and salmon a day combined, harvest Jan 1–Mar 15 and from the second Saturday in April to Oct 31. Lake Champlain is 15" and 3 a day all year.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Vermont non-tidal

Season here: Sep–Jun. More on lake trout

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

54°
45°55–78° · ideal 68°88°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Below smallmouth bass's active range (55–78°F). Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Vermont: 10" minimum, 5 bass a day combined, harvest from the second Saturday in June to Mar 15; catch and release with artificial lures the rest of the year. Lake Champlain is 12" and closes to harvest Dec 1.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Vermont non-tidal

Season here: May–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on smallmouth bass

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

54°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Below largemouth bass's active range (55–85°F). Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Vermont: 10" minimum, 5 bass a day combined, harvest from the second Saturday in June to Mar 15; catch and release with artificial lures the rest of the year. Lake Champlain is 12" and closes to harvest Dec 1.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Vermont non-tidal

Season here: May–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on largemouth bass

The water

  • Water temperature54°F
  • Barometer30.28 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today7:21 am
  • Sunset today5:51 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:30 am–8:30 am
  • Major solunarToday 11:50 am–1:50 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 5:10 pm–6:10 pm

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Vermont Fish & Wildlife has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: Vermont Fish & Wildlife · trout stocking · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

The 120-mile inland sea between Vermont and New York — national-caliber bass tournament water and a genuine multi-species fishery. Trophy smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike (Missisquoi Bay is legendary), lake trout, and landlocked salmon all share the lake. Live water temperature from the USGS Burlington gauge. Burlington’s waterfront anchors public access.

Bass 12", 5 a day from the second Saturday in June to Nov 30; walleye 18", 3 a day from the first Saturday in May to Mar 15. Baitfish must be bought for Lake Champlain and stay on the lake.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Lake Champlain9 mi · New YorkBest now until 7 am
96Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Lake Champlain (Burlington)?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Lake Champlain (Burlington) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Lake Champlain (Burlington)?

Lake Champlain (Burlington) is listed on this site for 8 commonly-targeted species: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, and 4 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Lake Champlain (Burlington)?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Lake Champlain (Burlington) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Lake Champlain (Burlington) have?

Lake Champlain (Burlington) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Bass 12", 5 a day from the second Saturday in June to Nov 30; walleye 18", 3 a day from the first Saturday in May to Mar 15. Baitfish must be bought for Lake Champlain and stay on the lake.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Lake Champlain (Burlington)?

state agency regulations apply at Lake Champlain (Burlington). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Lake Champlain (Burlington) tidal water?

No. Lake Champlain (Burlington) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.