From Ottawa to the Thousand Islands.

Of the big Canadian cities, Ottawa is the closest to Alexandria Bay. You can leave home after breakfast, fish the St. Lawrence all afternoon, and sleep in your own bed. Or you can make a weekend of it.

Laurentian Tours runs guided fishing trips, river cruises, and waterfowl hunts on the New York side of the river. Here's how Ottawa visitors can plan one.

What's the best route from Ottawa?

The usual route is Highway 416 south toward Prescott. Follow the signs to the Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge, cross the river, and clear U.S. customs in Ogdensburg. The U.S. port there is open 24 hours a day, according to CBP.

From Ogdensburg, follow Route 37 southwest along the river. Near Morristown, pick up Route 12, which runs right into Alexandria Bay.

There's a second option. You can take Highway 401 west to Highway 137 and cross on the Thousand Islands Bridge. Both work. On busy days, compare the live CBP border wait times (opens in a new tab) for each crossing before you choose.

What do you need at the border?

Per U.S. Customs and Border Protection (opens in a new tab), Canadian citizens entering the U.S. by land can use a valid passport, a NEXUS card, or an enhanced driver's license. Canadian kids under 16 can show a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship.

For the drive home, the Canada Border Services Agency (opens in a new tab) advises Canadians to carry a valid passport on every trip abroad, the U.S. included.

Bringing fish or birds back? Canada's travel food rules say you must declare all food you bring in. Limits apply, and wild game has its own rules, so check CBSA's current rules before the trip.

Do you need a New York license?

To fish, yes, if you're 16 or older. An Ontario license doesn't cover New York water. New York's DEC requires a New York fishing license (opens in a new tab) for anyone 16 or older who fishes in the state. Nonresidents can buy a 1-day, 7-day, or 1-year license online. Our license guide has the details.

To hunt ducks or geese, bring a New York hunting license, HIP registration, and a federal duck stamp (16 and older). Check DEC's rules for nonresident hunters well ahead of time.

All trip prices are in U.S. dollars. There's no deposit, and nothing is paid online.

How does this compare with fishing near Ottawa?

You don't have to leave home to fish well. Ontario lists walleye, sauger, northern pike, musky, and both kinds of bass as key fish in the Ottawa River (opens in a new tab). The Rideau has bass and pike right through the city.

So why make the drive? A few reasons:

• You don't need a boat. The guide brings the boat, rods, reels, tackle, bait, and life jackets in every size.
• The islands. The Thousand Islands is a maze of rocky shoals, weed beds, and channels. A guide who knows it saves you a lot of guessing.
• The shore dinner. Fish in the morning, then eat your catch cooked over a fire on an island. It's a river guide tradition since the late 1800s.
• A guided duck hunt. Diving ducks like bluebills, goldeneye, and buffleheads use the river in the fall, along with Canada geese. Read more in our post on diving ducks.

Captain Richard Drake has run boats on this river for over 40 years. He's a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain and a New York State licensed outdoor guide.

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Two ways to plan it

The day trip. Leave Ottawa around 8 AM. Cross at Prescott, and be at the dock in Alexandria Bay before lunch. Take a 4-hour half-day charter in the afternoon. It's $475 for one person, up to $600 for six. Drive home that evening.

The fall hunt weekend. A guided waterfowl hunt starts before sunrise and runs about 6 to 7 hours. Driving in that morning isn't practical, so come down the night before. Alexandria Bay has hotels, motels, inns, and cottage rentals.

• Day 1: Drive down in the afternoon. Settle in early.
• Day 2: Hunt from before sunrise to early afternoon. It's $500 for one hunter, plus $100 for each added hunter, up to 4. Decoys are supplied, and dogs are welcome. Captain Richard can clean and package your birds on request.

Thinking of bringing your own shotgun? Taking a firearm into the U.S. means U.S. import rules. ATF may require an approved Form 6 NIA import permit (opens in a new tab) before you travel, and approval takes weeks. Check with ATF early. The simpler path: Captain Richard has loaner shotguns on request.

When to come from Ottawa

• May to mid-June: Pike and walleye. Bass fishing on the St. Lawrence stays closed until June 15.
• Summer: Bass, pike, walleye, and perch. Busy on the water and at the border.
• Fall: Musky trips from late September through November, plus duck and goose hunts. Hunting seasons change each year, so check NYSDEC.
• Winter: Ice fishing, about January into March, depending on the ice. Trips run 7 to 11 AM, so stay the night before.

Fishing seasons follow the NYSDEC regulations (opens in a new tab). Check the current rules before your trip.

Bringing friends? Our guys' fishing trip page covers groups, including what happens when you have more than 6. Heading down with family? See family reunion ideas.

Frequently asked questions