THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026 · LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Grass edges and milfoil ridges in the cooler water before the front, green pumpkin dragged tight on the bottom.
WATER 76°FAIR 63°FWIND 10 MPH SSEASON SUMMERPOOL -0.8 FT
Water's sitting in that sweet upper-70s range where largemouth are still feeding but starting to look for slightly deeper grass and shade. The pressure's dropping ahead of some weather rolling in, and that's firing them up. You've got overcast sky and a south wind keeping things somewhat even through the morning. Before that front hits, they're chewing more than they will after. Pool's a touch down, which can tighten fish to structure. Clarity is good, so go with green pumpkin and natural tones. This is a brief window to work the deeper grass edges and rock-milfoil mix where largemouth set up as summer peaks.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 5:53 AM to 7:30 AM
Milfoil ridges in 6 to 10 feet, south-lake area around the LaChute River and East Creek channels.
Half-ounce green-pumpkin jig with a three-inch craw trailer, dragged on the bottom along grass edges and rock piles. Work it slow, feel for snags and fish.
The solunar major is right at sunrise, and before the front pressure finishes dropping, bass are looking up and feeding. Grass and rock mix holds both species stacked in summer, and largemouth hug the milfoil side. Dragging keeps you in contact with bottom structure and triggers reaction strikes on the fall.
MORNING · 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Inside grass edges in 8 to 14 feet, Inland Sea and north-end shallow bays with dense weed beds.
Half-ounce or three-quarter-ounce jig flipped into grass clumps and along the deeper grass line, green pumpkin or darker colors as vegetation gets thicker. Trim the trailer to three inches and keep skirts tight to cut short strikes.
Overcast keeps light softer longer, so bass stay shallower through the morning than they would on bluebird days. The cooling pressure and cloudy sky extend the active window. Fish the grass edges methodically, especially inside bends where bass position to intercept bait moving through channels.
MIDDAY · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Deeper grass edges and rock breaks in 12 to 18 feet on the main-lake side of the Inland Sea ridges, or toward the eastern deep-grass structure.
Texas-rigged creature bait in green pumpkin or brown, dead-sticked in the grass with minimal movement. Let it sit and work it slowly up and out of the grass on pauses.
Sun angle climbs even under clouds, and largemouth pull off the absolute shallowest areas to stay comfortable. The creature rig is a proven alternate here and keeps you inside the thickest cover where fish retreat. Dead-sticking matches the lower energy midday period and lets fish take it without suspicion.
LATE AFTERNOON · 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Rock ridges with milfoil in 6 to 10 feet, focusing on the three-high-point pattern: minor structure changes on the ridge that concentrate fish.
Drop shot with a three-inch goby-imitating worm or shad-toned finesse bait on a light jighead, worked vertically or slow-dragged along the ridge breaks. Keep the weight on the bottom.
The afternoon solunar minor falls mid-window here, and even though sun's still climbing, the ridge structure and rock-grass mix keeps fish close to cover. Goby imitation matches the forage. Drop shot lets you pick individual fish off the edges without spooking them. The pressure falling steadily means they're still active enough to chase light presentations on tight structure.
EVENING · 5:00 PM to 7:15 PM
Inside grass edges and creek channels in the south-lake milfoil zones, 8 to 14 feet. Back into the LaChute River delta and East Creek branches.
Half-ounce green-pumpkin jig dragged with a four-inch craw trailer. Work the creek channel bends and grass edges where bait concentrates. Keep contact with bottom, feel for the bite.
The evening solunar major lines up at 5:50 PM, right in this window. As light starts to fade and the pressure trough deepens before the front, bass move back to shallower grass to feed. Creeks funnel bait and compress fish. Dragging keeps you efficient and in the bite window when they're most aggressive before the weather comes.
DUSK · 7:15 PM to 8:02 PM
Shallow rock-grass transitions and the outer edges of thick grass beds in 5 to 8 feet, particularly around structure with nearby deep water access.
Half-ounce to three-quarter-ounce green-pumpkin jig with a three-inch craw, flipped and working quickly through cover. Move between grass clumps to cover water fast.
Light is dropping fast, and largemouth are in full-feed mode before the front arrives. The new moon and falling pressure combine to drive aggressive behavior. Shallow grass edges with nearby drop-offs to deep water are where they stage to hunt. Cover more water at faster pace than earlier. The bite compresses into this tight window before the weather system moves through.
NIGHT · 8:02 PM onward
Main-lake deep grass edges and offshore rock breaks in 15 to 25 feet, secondary points with deep-water access.
If fishing after dark, work a three-quarter-ounce black jig with a goby-colored trailer or a Texas-rigged creature bait in dark colors, slow dragging on bottom structure. Headlamp only, minimal light.
After the sun sets and the front moves closer, fishing gets significantly tougher. Bass pull deeper as pressure continues to drop and the system approaches. If you stay out, target the deeper sanctuary structures they'll retreat to once the front passes. Most anglers will wrap up, but night fishing on this lake works best on deep structure after the weather event, not before.
Where to fish
- South Lake milfoil ridges (LaChute River and East Creek area) — 5 to 12 feet over the ridge tops, with deeper channels at 15 to 20 feet nearby. · Rock-and-milfoil ridges with three distinct high points that concentrate fish, creek inflows, grass edges and chunk rock.
Tournament winner Ed Loughran won the 2024 Elite on this exact pattern: dragging green-pumpkin jigs on a rock ridge in 5 to 10 feet with adjacent milfoil and creek structure. Largemouth stack on the grass side while structure holds mixed bags. Deep-water access nearby lets fish move in and out freely. - Inland Sea grass-and-rock transitions — 6 to 16 feet on the ridges, with deeper structure off the edges. · Shallow weed beds mixed with rock piles and flats, providing both largemouth grass habitat and smallmouth rock breaks on opposite sides of the same ridge.
The Inland Sea is explicitly noted as prime mixed-water with weed beds, flats and rock piles holding both species. Largemouth use the grass side and shallow transitions. Large shallow body keeps fish accessible in summer when main lake goes deep. - Missisquoi Bay upper reaches — 4 to 10 feet in the delta branches, 8 to 14 feet on the flats. · Missisquoi River delta branches, shallow rock-and-grass flats away from the main river mouth, with scattered cover and hard bottom.
Missisquoi is explicitly called the north end's largemouth mecca. Dirtier water than the main lake makes it reliable even when other areas get tough or windy. Abundant vegetation and delta structure concentrate quality largemouth. Half-ounce to three-quarter-ounce baits work through grass density.
What to throw
- Flipping jig — n/a · Green pumpkin or dark brown · 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz (Early morning through midday, inside thick grass beds and milfoil in 6 to 14 feet.)
Flip or pitch into grass clumps and along deeper grass edges, work the fall and along bottom, pause and shake lightly to trigger strikes. - Drop shot — 3 in · Brown or shad-toned (goby imitation) · Light jighead (1/8 oz to 1/4 oz), 12 to 18 inches above a 1/4 oz drop weight. (Late afternoon on rock ridges and deeper structure in 12 to 18 feet, or when fish are tight to cover.)
Vertical jigging or slow dragging along ridge edges and rock breaks. Keep the weight on the bottom and work the bait up and down or side to side with minimal movement. - Texas-rigged creature bait — 3 in to 4 in · Green pumpkin or brown · 3/16 oz to 1/4 oz bullet weight, tungsten preferred for feel. (Midday when sun angle climbs and fish pull back into thickest grass cover.)
Dead-stick in grass with minimal movement. Occasionally lift and reset, or work it slowly up out of clumps and pause. Let the bait do the talking. - ChatterBait — Swimbait trailer 2 in to 2.5 in · Green pumpkin with goby-colored swimbait trailer · 1/2 oz (Morning through late afternoon on milfoil ridges and grass-rock mixes in 6 to 12 feet.)
Steady retrieve along grass edges and rock transitions, maintaining contact with bottom. Let blade vibration do the work, minimal rod movement.
How to work it
- Dragging — Early morning through late afternoon, and again in evening as fish feed before the front. · Milfoil ridges, rock-grass transitions, and bottom structure in 6 to 18 feet.
Cast to structure, let the jig settle, then drag along the bottom with slight rod movements and pauses. Feel for the tick of rocks or snags, then set when you sense weight or a tap. - Flipping — Morning through dusk, especially around milfoil beds and when cover is thick enough to hide fish. · Inside grass edges, dense weed clumps, and laydowns near or on structure.
Shorten line so the jig hangs 3 to 4 feet below the rod tip, then swing or flip it into thick grass, brush, or cover pockets. Work the fall, shake slightly, and let it sit a beat before resetting. - Dead-sticking — Midday into early afternoon when fish are less aggressive but still in the zone. · Deep grass beds, milfoil pockets, and inside weed edges in 8 to 14 feet.
Cast the Texas-rigged creature bait out, let it settle on the bottom, then hold still with minimal tension. On longer pauses (10-15 seconds), twitch slightly or lift and drop 6 to 12 inches. Wait for the strike.
Pro tips
- When the front pressure bottoms and the system is almost on top of you, largemouth go from aggressive to locked down in an hour. Fish the shallowest grass edges and thickest cover in the last hour of daylight, then plan to come back 18 to 24 hours later when they recover. The bite resets completely once the pressure climbs again.
- Pool is down 0.8 feet, which tightens fish to structure and can actually concentrate them tighter to drop-offs and edges. Scout the exact edge where shallow water meets the channel, sometimes to the foot, and fish tight. That pinpoint precision is worth more than covering water today.
- The new moon and double solunar majors at 5:34 AM and 5:50 PM bracket the best windows. If you can only fish one period, hit the evening major at 5:50 PM as the pressure trough is deepest and bass are stacked and feeding hard before the weather arrives.
If conditions change
If the front passes and pressure climbs, water clears even more, or the cloud cover breaks into bright sun sooner than expected, pull back from the shallow grass immediately. Drop to 12 to 18 feet on the rock-ridge edges and milk a drop shot or light jighead along the deeper structure. Bass will be lethargic post-front, so downsize everything, slow your retrieve to barely moving, and work tight cover. If the south wind jumps or shifts west, the shallow Missisquoi Bay and the Inland Sea can become windblown and choppier, which extends the shallow bite because wind-blown banks oxygenate water and push bait. Fish the wind-facing banks with faster retrieves and more aggressive presentations. If water stains from run-off before the rain, shift to darker jig colors (black or junebug), thicker skirts, and heavier baits (three-quarter ounce) to create more vibration, and work slightly shallower to compensate for reduced visibility.
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