Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free1 angler watching on this water. Exact spots stay private, always.
271,000-acre lake near Burlington. 120-mile border lake; a top-5 US bass fishery with pike, walleye and lake trout. The lake tops out around 392 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Champlain runs 211,704 acres with 241.4 miles of edge, broken up by 26 islands. An index of 3.7 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 30% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 74.1 mi with a 12.3-mi widest point. You'll find it in Essex County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Shelburne Pond, 11 mi southeast of here.
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Rock reef, a rock pile in the 7 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (7 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (25 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Rock reef (25 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (26 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at La Platte River inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | La Platte River inflow (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (26 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Shoreline point (30 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (26 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at La Platte River inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | La Platte River inflow (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Boquet River mouth (9 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (25 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Rock reef (25 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Lake Champlain also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), lake trout (50 to 120 ft in summer), landlocked salmon (25 to 60 ft in summer), steelhead (5 to 45 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 56 structure features on Lake Champlain; the deepest is Deep basin at about 279 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 New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Lake Champlain specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Lake Champlain is about 392 ft (119 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 smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, rainbow trout, crappie, yellow perch, lake trout, landlocked salmon, steelhead on Lake Champlain.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth bass, 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 is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Shelburne Pond 11 mi, VT · Colchester Pond 12 mi, VT · Indian Brook Reservoir 12 mi, VT · Lake Iroquois 15 mi, VT · Arrowhead Mountain Lake 17 mi, VT · Lake Champlain - Inland Sea and Malletts Bay 20 mi, VT · Ausable River (West Branch) 23 mi, NY · Taylor Pond 25 mi, NY · Metcalf Pond 28 mi, VT · Waterbury Reservoir 29 mi, VT · Union Falls Flow 30 mi, NY · Chazy Lake 30 mi, NY
See how Lake Champlain stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best northern pike lakes in New York
More water nearby: Essex County fishing maps (9 charts). Browse all New York 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.