The majestic river ranks as the largest east-west river in North American, and the scenery alone makes any outing here a worthwhile venture. Flowing across the top of St. Lawrence County, this river forms the border between New York State and the Province of Ontario. Contrary to popular belief, though, the international border does not run straight through the middle of the river but is very irregular, and at times actually extends very close to either mainland.
The upper reaches of the Grasse River hold brown trout and the brook trout, but warm water anglers concentrate their efforts on the 44 mile stretch of river from Pyrites to Massena. The Grasse holds good numbers of smallmouth bass and walleyes. In addition, the river has a stable muskie population. Regulations call for a 40-inch minimum length for muskies taken on St. Lawrence County rivers but anglers are encouraged to release all muskellunge caught on the Grasse and other rivers.
The construction of hydroelectric damns on the Raquette river created a series of eight reservoirs called the Upper Impoundments. The reservoirs stretch from 100-3,000 acres and shorelines vary from developments to wilderness. Walleyes are the most sought after species in the impoundments, but smallmouth bass, northern pike, and yellow perch are also popular. Other possibilities included tiger muskies, largemouth bass, pumpkinseeds, brown bullheads, rock bass, and fallfish.
Our word class rivers are waiting for you to cast your line. Plan a trip today and we look forward to seeing you in Massena.
