I was up the big pond for almost 2 weeks and the fishing was a bit off by my standards, which are more than 11 years old since last.  I'm also that much older and less sharp/hard core.   I used to compete up there back in the '00s, but haven't been back since '14.   Local lore was the spawn was late and weeds didn't grow in the high water.   First time I recall seeing the south end 'muddied' like coffee.   It used to get this grey silt up, that quickly dissipated in the past but this was coffee with cream and no weeds to filter it out.   I fished the cleaner areas and had to go all the way out past the bridge to find some.   Third day it was getting reasonable but left for Platty.

I found some SMB still spawning up the 'nort' end.   One LMB also with tail scars and general lower weight.   Water was around 75+-, and in the '60s one day.   It was ~82, south.   

Usually can target the 6-8' depth weed lines, but I was keying on 10-12'+ with the bright skies and fluctuating water temps.   It cooled off quite a bit, low 60s and water temp dropped, 5+ deg for a few days.   Nice to fish in but UV10+ sunburn alley.   I bought some UV golf sleeves for my sunburn arms, and they worked good.  

The south end was no coontail/milfoil mats much same in the north, all submerged and not high/dense enough to focus on dark spots.  Celery root has taken over despite their "eradication" efforts of the past decades.   I had to key on rock and steep banks to find the fish top side.   Eel grass was productive south.

It was futile to fish anywhere less than 3-4', with clear water and high skies.   So missaquoi day was a bombout.   SMB also mixed in south.  They'd freak at the boat in the sunlight and made landing tough.   Lost several that just tore off last second including a couple giants.   More prevalent on sunny days, than overcast.   Land rate improved on overcast days.

North, contours at 10-12' with pike weed strands produced on my drop technique.   My old waypoints saved the day, but couldn't always get around even with ramp hopping.   I can't take the pounding at my age.   I took one shot adjusting the GPS and shocked my ribs and neck stiff.   I had to reverse course.   I shoulda stayed were I was catching 1-2s, out of the wind, but the lure of old waypoints spurred me in on the inland sea.   Didn't get any cross wind days.   Whatta difference a day makes.   Listened to the weatherman.   I know better.

I normally expect to catch a 5+ in each specie on a trip like this, but only managed a 3-15 LMB AND 4-1 SMB,   The LMB was of the right frame size but beat up from recent spawning out.   

Lots of kayakers, for the BASS event.   Wish them luck because that's a long way to drive to get skunked if they can't get away from the banks unless the weather pattern changes.   I saw FLA and TX plates on kayak rigs in the launch areas.   

 

I’m starting to plan a trip Champlain for end of June beginning of July, I’ve never been and trying to narrow down an area to focus on. Is there an area you recommend starting at over others? I was mostly split between fishing the south end or fishing then land sea and associate bays. Staying 4-5 days so I’m hoping not to spend all that time running around the lake relearning every spot.

 

thanks!

Sounds like a challenging trip, Jim. At least when the wind blows for me, I simply wait. When you're on a fishing trip, there's such a hunger to launch. I remember sitting on an island's cliff in northwestern Ontario and watching the water white cap. Oh, I wanted to launch, but I also didn't want to die.

Wow,,,crazy that this just came back up, last night I was researching campgrounds on Lake Champlain.

Always wanted to fish there and time is running out.

Trying to see where there can be some protection from wind and was checking Grand Isle campground in Vermont.

Being in a kayak kinda need some place to hide from the wind.

Over the years have had many days and sometimes whole trips where we could't get out at all due to wind, when planning trips months in advance ain't much you can do due to the weather.

Just gotta role with it, and make sure your with friends who aren't whiners.

Also helps having plenty of beer  

The south end out of whitehall to ticonderoga past to the VT bridge is LMB waters,  and it's narrow in the lower section with lots of reeds and grass, so that would offer much protection for a kayak.  Top water mats.   Either whitehall or ti launch is ok for kayaks, just watch for the Ti cable ferry.   There's some back waters along the way too but no road, it's the railroad tracks.

The main lake gets rather rough especially if the wind is out of north straight down the pike, they stack up big time.  Flat, I've been all over.   One year some ocean kayaks were out and following me around it was flat.   I've caught SMB off the main lake when it was navigable but I run high HP 20'ers.   There a few bays you could fish protected out of the wind along the NY side or west wind.   The north end, Plattsburgh to Canada/Rouses Pt and over to vermont is SMB and LMB.   This is where you'll find the big SMB off the beaten path.   There's a launch aside of the big island bridge and you can fish either side of the road without much worry for SMB.  The inner sea gets rough too if it's down the pike.   There's some bays over there too, if you can launch close by.   I launch at the VT ramp on the connector between inner sea and missiqoui, that way I can go up or down and there's a railroad bridge that blocks the wind a bit.    I made the mistake of going inner sea this year on a north wind, and I had a heckuva time getting down where I wanted to go, and stopped short.   I left protected fish, though they were smallish to get to some south areas, and they were 4-5'ers at times.   I could run them, but old bones don't like to take the pounding I used to enjoy in my youth.   I'm in much better shape now than I was in July.   

There's some inland water and missiquoi is pretty shallow, but I've run the whole missiquoi river also.   That's OK for kayaks.   The connector is not wide, but same if it's out of the north but you can hug shore. 

What I do stay in an inhabited area, Ti or Platts or both, and tow to the launch de jour, to stay out of the wind.   I like the launches above Platts at little chazy river and Port au Roche.   Of course, some days the weather man is off.    You could probably launch a kayak anywhere along the lake shore road above Platts, if you can find a place to park that's not private.

If you're going all over, you need NY and VT licenses.   They have 7 day but more than that it's annuals.   Not cheap.   Online available.   Let me know if you need more.

Sounds like the big decision is fishing the south end for green fish or fishing the northern end/inland sea for a mix of brown and green fish. I’ll probably end up on the northern end for more diverse opportunities the chance for real big fish.

The south has SMB, just not as many/size.   The ratios change with latitude.   Too different types of fishing - shallow vs deeper.    Of course someone will always have an exception story.   Fish move.

The south will get more muddy/cloudy than the north end run off.   It used to run a greyish color but this last trip is was muddy brown.   I think the lack of vegetation this year was allowing more siltation.   The grey shale stuff used to settle out rapidly but the muddy was lingering many days.   I had to adjust tactics from normal south end practice.   

The south end has been better early year than late as the south cattle farm runoff was making a lot of filamentous algae growth/dieoff accumulate.     Not a bite stopper but slimes up the baits, and holes.   I know they were trying to address the Phos runoff, but I haven't kept up.   I look for those silos as physical features for spot alignment for ridge, drops, etc.   The celery weed harvesters still ply the south and disturbed the aquatics.   Yesterday's weed patch might not be there tomorrow.