Drop Shot Fishing on St. Lawrence River
St. Lawrence River · New York · Northeast
The St. Lawrence River stretches along the New York–Ontario border, a massive, current-driven system running through the heart of the Thousand Islands region. Rocky points, submerged shoals, weed flats, and deep channel edges create an incredibly varied structural canvas that supports world-class smallmouth populations alongside largemouth, northern pike, muskellunge, and walleye. Water clarity skews clear to moderately clear, which means finesse presentations and natural color palettes tend to outperform loud, opaque offerings across much of the season.
The drop shot suspends a soft plastic bait above the bottom on a fixed line, keeping it in the strike zone longer than any other rig. Originally a West Coast technique, it now dominates clear-water and finesse situations nationwide. Works vertically over structure or on a long cast.
Drop Shot Setup for St. Lawrence River
| Rod | 7' medium-light to medium spinning rod, fast action |
| Reel | 2500–3000 size spinning reel, 6.2:1 or higher |
| Line | 6–8 lb fluorocarbon main line or 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluoro leader |
| Weight | 1/8–3/8 oz tungsten drop shot weight (heavier in current or deep water) |
| Hook | #1 or #2 Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap, 6–18 inches above weight |
Seasonal Tactics on St. Lawrence River
Lake: Smallmouth stage on shallow rocky shoals and sand flats in 4–10 ft as water temperatures climb through the low 50s into the low 60s; pre-spawn fish are aggressive on tube jigs and suspending jerkbaits worked near current breaks adjacent to deeper wintering areas.
Drop Shot: Target staging fish on points and drop-offs in 8–20 feet. Nose-hook a 6" Roboworm or Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm.
Lake: Post-spawn fish slide to main-river rocky points, mid-river shoals, and current seams in 12–22 ft, where gobies and crayfish dominate the forage; drop shots and football jigs worked slowly across hard-bottom structure are the workhorses once temperatures push into the upper 60s and 70s.
Drop Shot: Go deep — 20–40 feet on main lake structure. Shake in place with minimal movement. Shad colors dominate.
Lake: Cooling water triggers aggressive topwater and swimbait action as smallmouth chase shad and shiners along weed edges and channel swings; October fishing can produce the year's biggest individual fish before the river shuts down.
Drop Shot: Follow baitfish to secondary points and pockets. Faster retrieve works as fish get more aggressive.
Lake: The St. Lawrence sees very limited open-water fishing in winter; ice-up typically covers large sections of the river by January, and access is restricted — late-season anglers targeting the final open-water weeks in late November focus on deep channel edges in 25–35 ft with blade baits and drop shots.
Drop Shot: Slowest presentation of the year. Dead-stick a 4" finesse worm at the bottom. Let it sit 10–15 seconds between shakes.
Best Conditions
Clear to stained water, pressured fish, cold fronts, post-spawn suspended bass, deep structure in summer
Use a Palomar knot and leave the tag end pointing up to keep the hook riding correctly. Most anglers tie it wrong.
More Techniques for St. Lawrence River
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