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10,367-acre section. The shallow, fertile northeast bay at Swanton: big pike in the weeds, a real walleye run up the Missisquoi and panfish everywhere. The lake tops out around 14 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay maps at 10,489 acres behind 45.7 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. An index of 3.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Call it 8.8 mi long by 4.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. Franklin County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Fairfield Pond, is 13 mi to the southeast.
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 14 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 14 ft. Put Weed flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Weed flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. The chart's best answer is Weed flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Sharp break (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 14 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 14 ft through summer, 4 to 14 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Sharp break, a drop-off in the 12 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (12 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (12 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Deepest basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. Weed flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Deepest basin (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deepest basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Deepest basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 14 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 14 ft. Put Deepest basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 13 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Sharp break (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deepest basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. The chart's best answer is Missisquoi River mouth — inflow / creek mouth, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Missisquoi River mouth (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | night & dusk | Deepest basin (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk | Deepest basin (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deepest basin (13 ft) |
Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay also holds white perch (4 to 14 ft in summer), rock bass (4 to 14 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 23 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest basin, sits near 13 ft.
Access data: Vermont Fish & Wildlife — Fishing Access Areas. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Vermont waters are set by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Vermont fishing regulations →
Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay is about 14 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target northern pike, largemouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, crappie, channel catfish, white perch, rock bass on Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay.
Weed flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay is regulated by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Vermont regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Fairfield Pond 13 mi, VT · Lake Carmi 14 mi, VT · Lake Champlain - Inland Sea and Malletts Bay 17 mi, VT · Lac Selby 19 mi, QC · Metcalf Pond 23 mi, VT · Arrowhead Mountain Lake 23 mi, VT · Lac Gale 30 mi, QC · Colchester Pond 30 mi, VT · Lac Bromont 31 mi, QC · Indian Brook Reservoir 32 mi, VT · Lac Brome 36 mi, QC · Lake Champlain 36 mi, NY/VT
See how Lake Champlain - Missisquoi Bay stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Vermont · best walleye lakes in Vermont · best northern pike lakes in Vermont · best crappie lakes in Vermont
More water nearby: Franklin County fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all Vermont fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.