Oswegatchie River Fishing Guides
A long Adirondack river with genuine remote brook trout water in the Five Ponds Wilderness up top and strong smallmouth, pike and walleye fishing on the lower reaches.
Guides on the Oswegatchie River
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About the Oswegatchie River
The Oswegatchie is one of the great wilderness canoe rivers of the Adirondacks and one of the least crowded fisheries in New York. The upper river winds through the Five Ponds Wilderness in tight meandering loops through spruce bog and beaver meadow, and the paddle upstream from Inlet toward High Falls is a classic multi-day trip. Below the wilderness it runs north through Gouverneur and the farm country of St Lawrence County to reach the St Lawrence River at Ogdensburg.
The upper river is brook trout water, and it is the real thing: wild native fish in tannin-stained slow current, best fished from a canoe with short casts to the undercut banks and the beaver channels. It is remote enough that anglers should plan for a full wilderness trip rather than a day outing. The lower river below Gouverneur is a completely different fishery and a very good one. Smallmouth bass hold on the rock ledges, northern pike and muskellunge work the weed edges and the slower bends, and walleye are present through the lowest reaches near the St Lawrence.
This gauge sits on the middle river near the hamlet of Oswegatchie and reports discharge and stage with no water temperature sensor. It is the best available read on whether the wilderness section is paddleable, and that matters, because the upper river at low summer water becomes a long series of drags over beaver dams and gravel. High spring water makes the same run fast and pushy through deadfall. Black flies through late May and June are severe here and are the most common reason a first trip is remembered badly. Anyone planning the wilderness run should carry a saw, expect to lift over blowdown, and file a trip plan, because help is a long way off in that country.
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Access
Inlet on the Oswegatchie - the standard put-in for the wilderness canoe route upstream.
High Falls in the Five Ponds Wilderness - the classic destination on the upper river.
The hamlet of Oswegatchie near the gauge - roadside access to the middle river.
Gouverneur village access - bank and small-boat access at the transition to warmwater.
Heuvelton and the lower river - smallmouth and pike access on the slower water.
Black Lake nearby - a well-known still-water alternative when the river is high.
Ogdensburg at the St Lawrence confluence - launch access to the lowest reach.
Seasons
Spring: high water, strong flows and the best brook trout fishing of the year in the wilderness reaches.
Summer: low and warm downstream, with good smallmouth fishing and difficult upper-river paddling.
Fall: cooling water, excellent pike and smallmouth fishing and no black flies at all.
Winter: frozen over on most of the river, with ice fishing on the lower flat water only.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Oswegatchie River?
As of Sep 17, 6:15 am, the USGS gauge OSWEGATCHIE RIVER NEAR OSWEGATCHIE NY reads 170 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Oswegatchie River?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Perch on the Oswegatchie River in New York.
Where can you access the Oswegatchie River?
Inlet on the Oswegatchie - the standard put-in for the wilderness canoe route upstream. High Falls in the Five Ponds Wilderness - the classic destination on the upper river. The hamlet of Oswegatchie near the gauge - roadside access to the middle river. Gouverneur village access - bank and small-boat access at the transition to warmwater. Heuvelton and the lower river - smallmouth and pike access on the slower water. Black Lake nearby - a well-known still-water alternative when the river is high. Ogdensburg at the St Lawrence confluence - launch access to the lowest reach.
When is the best time to fish the Oswegatchie River?
Spring: high water, strong flows and the best brook trout fishing of the year in the wilderness reaches. Summer: low and warm downstream, with good smallmouth fishing and difficult upper-river paddling. Fall: cooling water, excellent pike and smallmouth fishing and no black flies at all. Winter: frozen over on most of the river, with ice fishing on the lower flat water only.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Oswegatchie River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New York agency site: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/regulations