Zach Nute Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 Hey everyone, I have a fishing trip up to Lake Champlain in June... I was wondering if anyone has any tips or places to fish for smallmouth? I have never been there and don't really know what to expect! Any help will be appreciated!! Thank you. P.S: I own the boat showed in the image I attached, so I'm aware of the harsh conditions that could hit the lake! lol Quote
HawgBoss44 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Shelburne bay is really good, you can launch right from downtown burlington by the ferry. My girlfriend and I caught a bunch there last year..she caught a 6 pound monster there too. Be careful. .I almost sunk my boat there two weekends before that one due to an idiotic decision I made to stay out in a storm Quote
Sun Fish Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Its a really big lake, depends what area your staying in. I take a trip up to North Hero every May. The smallmouth and largemouth fishing is GREAT 3 Quote
HawgBoss44 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Its a really big lake, depends what area your staying in. I take a trip up to North Hero every May. The smallmouth and largemouth fishing is GREAT Do you launch out of mallets bay and head north or do you launch further up? Quote
Sun Fish Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Do you launch out of mallets bay and head north or do you launch further up? I launch further up. Usually out of Holiday Harbor but depending on the wind if its nasty will launch else where like Kelly Bay, Missisiquooi, etc etc. Quote
llPa1nll Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 That lake can be a monster sometimes. I have seen the fog so thick you cant see the other side of the lake. The year before that it was gusty winds and dropping temps. The swells on the lake were over 3ft and that was only with a 3/4 - 1 mile fetch. Out on the main lake it was nasty, for safety sake we skipped going out a day due to the horrible conditions. Memorial day weekend temps in the 40s, rain, winds sustained 25 gusting to 40mph. Quote
Mainebass1984 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 There really isn't a wrong place to fish this lake especially in June. The southern end of the lake the largemouth fishing is world class and so is mississqoiu bay. The better smallmouth fishing tends to be towards the north end of the lake from Burlington north. 2 Quote
Sun Fish Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 There really isn't a wrong place to fish this lake especially in June. The southern end of the lake the largemouth fishing is world class and so is mississqoiu bay. The better smallmouth fishing tends to be towards the north end of the lake from Burlington north. ^^ This I love Lake Champlain!! 1 Quote
grampa1114 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 If the weather is very windy when you go, there is a ramp at the bottom of the Vergennes Dam at Otter Creek. Fish the creek out and Kellogg bay for Largemouth. If the weather is nice then go south to Button Bay for some great Smallmouth. Doesn't matter where you go, just watch the Weather and stay safe. Grampa Quote
Zach Nute Posted March 6, 2015 Author Posted March 6, 2015 Thank you everyone!! Does anyone live local to champlain? Quote
Mainebass1984 Posted March 7, 2015 Posted March 7, 2015 Thank you everyone!! Does anyone live local to champlain? I am about 40 minutes away from Shelburne Bay. An hour and a half to where I like to fish up by the Inland sea / Alburg passage. Larabees's launch by fort Ticonderoga is about an hour or so away from me. Champlain is amazing. That time of year can get unreal. There is a lot of pressure that time of year as well because everyone knows it is so good. 1 Quote
HawgBoss44 Posted March 7, 2015 Posted March 7, 2015 My girlfriend caught that smallie on the right last year Quote
Super User webertime Posted March 8, 2015 Super User Posted March 8, 2015 Shelburne bay is really good, you can launch right from downtown burlington by the ferry. My girlfriend and I caught a bunch there last year..she caught a 6 pound monster there too. Be careful. .I almost sunk my boat there two weekends before that one due to an idiotic decision I made to stay out in a stormThere's also a launch in Shelburne Bay. Shelburne can be really tough because the smallies are so schizophrenic there. Amazing one day and gone for a week. What time of June? I live minutes from the Inland Sea and can point you to a bunch of spots. Plus if the smallies are ****** the largemouths are there too. Quote
Super User webertime Posted March 8, 2015 Super User Posted March 8, 2015 Thank you everyone!! Does anyone live local to champlain? I live within 12 minutes of 3 launches, 30 minutes of 4 more. Pm me when it gets closer to your trip. I'll take mainebass out and we can hook up. Wait... what? Quote
Super User webertime Posted March 9, 2015 Super User Posted March 9, 2015 PS Champlain eats boats regardless of size. Quote
Super User Felix77 Posted March 9, 2015 Super User Posted March 9, 2015 I fish several tournaments up there every year. It's about 2-3 hours from me depending on the launch. My absolute favorite place to fish is out of Rouses Point. Have had some great Smallmouth fishing up there. Enjoy! 1 Quote
Zach Nute Posted March 9, 2015 Author Posted March 9, 2015 There's also a launch in Shelburne Bay. Shelburne can be really tough because the smallies are so schizophrenic there. Amazing one day and gone for a week. What time of June? I live minutes from the Inland Sea and can point you to a bunch of spots. Plus if the smallies are ****** the largemouths are there too. I'll be up June 4th-8th. I would prefer to catch smallmouth, but a big largemouth wouldn't be bad either..! lol Quote
Super User webertime Posted March 9, 2015 Super User Posted March 9, 2015 I'll be up June 4th-8th. I would prefer to catch smallmouth, but a big largemouth wouldn't be bad either..! lol They will still be on the spawn, or just starting with the way things are looking (over 3' of ice in spots...) Rouses Point, St. Albans Bay, Fields/Town Farm Bays. Spinning rod with TINY tubes will be the ticket. Seriously PM me before you head up and I'll get you better Intel. You staying in VT or NY? Quote
Mainebass1984 Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 I live within 12 minutes of 3 launches, 30 minutes of 4 more. Pm me when it gets closer to your trip. I'll take mainebass out and we can hook up. Wait... what? Lets get out there in your boat this time. We can leave mine at home. Wouldn't want to get into any weather in my boat. Your boat going to be good to go in another month ? Quote
Sun Fish Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 PS Champlain eats boats regardless of size. This to, gotta be careful out there Quote
Zach Nute Posted March 9, 2015 Author Posted March 9, 2015 They will still be on the spawn, or just starting with the way things are looking (over 3' of ice in spots...) Rouses Point, St. Albans Bay, Fields/Town Farm Bays. Spinning rod with TINY tubes will be the ticket. Seriously PM me before you head up and I'll get you better Intel. You staying in VT or NY? I'm unsure which state ill be on.. We are looking for a good campsite with a boat launch. Also I have a question for you. Do I have to have Vermont fishing license and New York fishing license to fish Champlain? Or can I get one or the other? Quote
HawgBoss44 Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 I'd be down to meet up you guys. We could probly get a lot of guys from on here 2 Quote
VtSmallmouth Posted March 10, 2015 Posted March 10, 2015 I'm unsure which state ill be on.. We are looking for a good campsite with a boat launch. Also I have a question for you. Do I have to have Vermont fishing license and New York fishing license to fish Champlain? Or can I get one or the other? Licensing depends where you plan to fish. Most of the lake Is open to anybody with a ny or vt license. North or Burlington where the lake kind of splits, you have to have a vt license to fish the vt side of the big islands. That includes mallets bay, inland sea, and missisquoi bay. I'm pretty sure the only part that requires a ny license is way down in the southern end. So if you want to catch smallies your best bet is a vt license. There is a good map of the lake with license requirements in the vt hunting and fishing lawbook that you get for free wherever you can buy a license. Quote
Super User webertime Posted March 10, 2015 Super User Posted March 10, 2015 I'm unsure which state ill be on.. We are looking for a good campsite with a boat launch. Also I have a question for you. Do I have to have Vermont fishing license and New York fishing license to fish Champlain? Or can I get one or the other? A VT License will let you fish everywhere on the lake EXCEPT South Bay (the southern tip of Champlain) and up the rivers on the NY side. A NY License will not work in the inland sea or Missisquoi Bay... VT is the way to go. There is a campground in Swanton that will launch you out on to the northern end of the inland sea (the name escapes me at the moment, google it). Do you have an RV? There's a site just down the road from me in Georgia (20 minutes to Saint Albans bay) and another in Colchester just minutes from Malletts Bay. Again the names escape me (and a 1.5 year old is sittng on me as well). Quote
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