Grass Lake Fishing
A 341-acre New York lake in St. Lawrence County and Jefferson County.
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Say hello to Grass Lake
On the NHD layer, Grass Lake spreads across about 341 acres in St. Lawrence County and Jefferson County. DEC lists the owner as DEC. The nearest village or town on the Census list is Oxbow, around 5 miles off. It is a Western Adirondacks and Eastern Lake Ontario water in DEC terms.
Its DEC roster includes largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, black crappie, tiger muskellunge and northern pike. 1 mapped launch put boats on it. The DEC launch type reads trailer unimproved. DEC lists its ice status as ice fishing permitted. Hatchery releases appear in 15 years of DEC lists starting 2011.
NYS Hydrography (NHD) outline, DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds, Census places, retrieved October 24, 2026.
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DEC lists, records and stocking rows place these fish in Grass Lake.
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds species column, DEC stocking lists and state records, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Getting on the water at Grass Lake
- Public Launch on Grass Lakehand launch, parking: 5 car and 0 car-trailer spaces; managed by DEC
Nearby ramps if Grass Lake is busy
- Public Launch on Lake of the WoodsLake of the Woods, 2 miles southwest
- Public Launch on Indian River near OxbowIndian River, 3 miles northeast
- Public Launch on Millsite LakeMillsite Lake, 5 miles southwest
- Indian River Wildlife Management Area on Red LakeRed Lake, 5 miles southwest
- Public Launch on Payne LakePayne Lake, 5 miles southeast
- Public Launch on Butterfield LakeButterfield Lake, 5 miles southwest
DEC boat launch and fishing access layers, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Sizes and bag limits at Grass Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Lake trout | 3; minimum 21" | Apr 1 – Oct 15 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Jun 15 to Nov 30) | 5; minimum 12" | Jun 15 – Nov 30 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Dec 1 to Jun 14) | No harvest; Catch and release only | Dec 1 – Jun 14 |
| Muskellunge | 1; minimum 40" | Jun 1 – Nov 30 |
| Tiger muskellunge | 1; minimum 30" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Northern pike | 5; minimum 18" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Chain pickerel | 5; minimum 15" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Walleye | 5; minimum 15" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Black and white crappie | 25; minimum 10" | All year |
| Yellow perch | 50 | All year |
| Sunfish | 25 | All year |
| American eel | 25; minimum 9" | All year |
The rows above repeat the statewide DEC table that applies at Grass Lake.
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations (statewide table effective April 1, 2026); county special regulations from the DEC region pages; retrieved October 24, 2026, figures checked against the DEC pages October 25, 2026.
Stocking tallies for Grass Lake
The DEC lists carry 4 stocking entries for Grass Lake between 2023 and 2025, led by walleye.
| Year | Species | Type | Entries | Fish | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | stocked | 1 | 960,000 | 0.3 in |
| 2024 | Walleye | stocked | 1 | 960,000 | 0.3 in |
| 2023 | Walleye | stocked | 1 | 960,000 | 0.3 in |
| 2023 | Tiger Muskellunge | stocked | 1 | 1,600 | 8.7 in |
DEC Fish Stocking Lists (Actual), 2023 to 2025, and DEC Current Season Spring Trout Stocking, 2026 (data.ny.gov), retrieved October 24, 2026. New York stocking.
How Grass Lake compares locally
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | DEC species | Stocked 2023-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Lake | 341 | 1 | 7 | yes | |
| Lake of the Woods | 2 miles southwest | 180 | 1 | 7 | yes |
| Butterfield Lake | 4 miles west | 1,031 | 1 | 4 | yes |
| Millsite Lake | 5 miles southwest | 487 | 1 | 6 | yes |
| Payne Lake, Jefferson County | 5 miles southeast | 168 | 1 | 7 | yes |
| Red Lake | 5 miles south | 372 | 1 | 8 | yes |
NYS Hydrography, DEC launch layers, DEC lake list and stocking lists, retrieved October 24, 2026.
The Grass Lake neighborhood
Neighboring lakes of Grass Lake
- Lake of the Woods2 miles southwest
- Butterfield Lake4 miles west
- Millsite Lake5 miles southwest
- Payne Lake, Jefferson County5 miles southeast
- Red Lake5 miles south
Bait and tackle stops for Grass Lake
- Lake Of The Woods Waterway Accessmarina, Jefferson, 2 miles
- Millsite Lake Fishing Accessmarina, Jefferson, 5 miles
- Butterfield Lake Waterway Accessmarina, Jefferson, 5 miles
- Carnegie Bay Marinamarina, Jefferson, 10 miles
- Chapman's Sport Shopsporting goods store, Hammond, 10 miles
- Swan Bay Marinamarina, Jefferson, 13 miles
Captains and guides near Grass Lake
- Adirondack Wilderness Experienfishing guide, Adirondack, Alexandria Bay
- Grindstone Isl. Hunting Guidefishing guide, Clayton
- Lots A Limits Charters/Guide Scharter, Henderson Harbor
- Storino Outdoors/Empire State Deer Recoveryfishing guide, Watertown
Overnight options close to Grass Lake
- Gouverneur12 miles
- Philadelphia12 miles
- Clayton20 miles
Grass Lake and the counties it spans
- St. Lawrence Countycounty seat Canton
- Jefferson Countycounty seat Watertown
Piscifun gear worth stowing for Grass Lake
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Photographs of the species found at Grass Lake
Photo: Tommy Andriollo, CC BY 4.0
Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: Knepp Timothy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: hug_78, CC BY 2.0
Trip questions for Grass Lake
How do I locate Grass Lake on a New York map?
The state map puts it in St. Lawrence County and Jefferson County, DEC Western Adirondacks and Eastern Lake Ontario, about 5 miles from Oxbow.
How large is Grass Lake on New York maps?
About 341 acres on the NHD outline.
Where is the public launch at Grass Lake?
Yes: 1 mapped launch, including Public Launch on Grass Lake.
Which fish turn up in DEC files for Grass Lake?
Fish to hope for: largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, black crappie, tiger muskellunge, northern pike and walleye.
What goes home in the cooler from Grass Lake?
Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Jun 15 to Nov 30): 5; minimum 12"; Jun 15 – Nov 30.
Is a New York license required at Grass Lake?
Anglers 16 and older need a DEC freshwater fishing license: $25.00 a year for residents, $50.00 for nonresidents, $5.00 for residents 70 and older, with 1-day and 7-day options.
Which hatchery fish go into Grass Lake?
Yes, 4 releases, most recently 2025.
Which shop on the list is nearest Grass Lake?
Lake Of The Woods Waterway Access, about 2 miles off.
May I fish through the ice at Grass Lake?
The DEC entry reads Ice Fishing Permitted.
Save a date for Grass Lake
Fees, seasons and every DEC table are on the license page.