River tradition · Thousand Islands, NY
The Thousand Islands shore dinner.
A shore dinner is the oldest tradition on the St. Lawrence: fish the morning with a guide, then pull up on an island and eat your catch, cooked over an open fire. Laurentian Tours runs shore dinner trips from Alexandria Bay, New York, the way river guides have done it since the 1800s.
- ~4 hrs fishing + dinner
- Cooked on an island
- Your catch, fried fresh
- Kids welcome
- From $630 per boat
How a shore dinner goes.
Morning on the water, lunch on an island, and an easy ride home.
- Lines in
Fish the morning bite with Richard. Everything you keep goes toward dinner.
- Run to the island
Pull up at a picnic spot in the middle of the river and get the fire going.
- Fresh fish over the fire
Richard cooks the full spread while you sit back and take in the view.
- Easy ride back
A slow cruise back to Alexandria Bay on a full stomach.
A river tradition since the 1800s.
In the late 1800s, Thousand Islands guides rowed their guests out in wooden skiffs, fished all morning, then pulled up on an island and cooked whatever they'd caught. For the Gilded Age families summering on the river, the shore dinner was often the best part of the trip. The rowboats are gone, but guides here still do it the same way.
Richard cooks the classic menu: BLT sandwiches, a tossed salad with Thousand Island dressing, your catch fried golden brown, salt potatoes with butter, and his French toast with local maple syrup for dessert. Didn't catch much? Don't worry, nobody goes hungry.
Trips & pricing.
Half day + shore dinner
About four hours of fishing, then the full shore dinner on an island. $630 for one, up to $1,030 for six.
Book a shore dinnerHalf day
Four hours on the river, back in time for lunch in Alex Bay.
Book a half dayFull day
Seven hours to try more spots and chase more species. Pack a lunch.
Book a full dayPrices are per boat (up to 6 people) and follow the Alexandria Bay Fishing Guides Association rates. See all rates.
What's included.
We provide
- Boat & USCG captain
- Rods, tackle & bait
- The full shore dinner
- Island picnic spot & fire
- Fish cleaning
You bring
- Fishing license (ages 16+)
- Layers & rain gear
- Hat, sunglasses & sunscreen
- Drinks
- A camera
- An appetite
The menu
BLT sandwiches with local tomato and onion · Tossed salad with Thousand Island dressing · Your catch, fried golden brown · Salt potatoes with butter · Guide's French toast with local maple syrup · Campfire coffee
River legend: Thousand Island dressing
Locals tell it like this. Sophia LaLonde, the wife of a Clayton fishing guide, mixed up the dressing for her husband's shore dinners. A visiting stage actress, May Irwin, loved it and shared the recipe, and it ended up in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria, the hotel run by George Boldt of Boldt Castle. Historians argue over the details, but it's a great story to hear over dinner on an island.
Good questions, straight answers.
Still wondering about something? Richard is happy to talk it over. Call or text anytime.
315-836-5798What is a Thousand Islands shore dinner?
How much does a shore dinner trip cost?
What if we don't catch any fish?
Where do you eat the shore dinner?
Is a shore dinner good for families and kids?
Can you work around food allergies?
Is Thousand Island dressing really from the Thousand Islands?
Do I need a fishing license?
Ready when you are.
No deposit. Richard will call or text to confirm the details.