The St. Lawrence can make a heavy bag look routine right up until current, distance, or the clock changes the whole day. Three major tournaments from 2024 through 2026 showed the same truth in different ways: this river rewards anglers who can find big smallmouth, but it tests every decision between takeoff and weigh-in.
Three Events, One Demanding River
2024: Four Anglers Push Toward 100 Pounds
The 2024 Bassmaster Elite at Waddington delivered the kind of leaderboard that explains the St. Lawrence River’s reputation. Cory Johnston won with 102 pounds even. Robert Gee finished second with 100 pounds, 7 ounces, while Trey McKinney took third with 98 pounds, 9 ounces. Chris Johnston placed fourth with 96 pounds, 2 ounces.
Those totals show the river’s ceiling, but the narrow gaps matter just as much. A fish or two across multiple competition days separated an outstanding finish from a winning one. On water this productive, simply catching good bass is not enough. Tournament anglers must repeatedly locate the right class of smallmouth and convert enough opportunities to stay ahead of a field doing the same.
2025: Another Tight Finish at Waddington
The 2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Open returned to Waddington and Whitaker Park from July 31 through August 2. Daily takeoff was scheduled for 6 a.m., with weigh-in at 2 p.m. Cory Johnston won with 74 pounds, 15 ounces. Zach Goutremout was second at 72 pounds, 4 ounces, and Erik Luzak finished only one ounce behind him at 72 pounds, 3 ounces. Lucas Murphy took fourth with 71 pounds, 10 ounces.
Again, the standings were tight. Johnston had separation at the top, but the next three places were packed within ounces. That is a useful lesson for anyone fishing a local derby: every cull matters, and every avoidable mistake becomes expensive. A missed bite, a lost fish, or a late return can erase the advantage created by hours of solid fishing.
2026: The Lock Becomes Part of the Story
The 2026 NPFL event ran July 23 through 25 from the Massena Intake, with 115 anglers and a $100,000 first-place prize. Zack Birge led day one with 25 pounds, 5 ounces. Yet the most revealing part of that opening day was not only the leading weight. A delay at Iroquois Lock led to late penalties and disqualifications for part of the field despite planned passage windows.
No final winner is named here because that result is not verified. The confirmed day-one events already make the larger point: on the St. Lawrence, the route can be as consequential as the spot. Anglers may plan carefully and still face a moving part they do not control.
Big Weight Does Not Mean Easy Fishing
Heavy tournament totals can create the impression that the river is automatic. Local anglers know better. A fishery capable of producing exceptional smallmouth also attracts competitors who are skilled at finding and catching them. The standard rises with the quality of the water.
The 2024 top four and the tight 2025 standings demonstrate that consistency is the separator. One strong day can put an angler in view, but repeating it is harder. Productive areas can change, fish can reposition, and opportunities can come in short windows. The challenge is not proving that big bass live here. It is staying connected to tournament-grade fish while managing everything else the river demands.
Current Shapes the Entire Day
The St. Lawrence is moving water, not a static lake. Current affects boat position, presentation control, drift speed, and how efficiently an angler can revisit a productive piece of structure. Wind can add another layer by pushing against or across that flow.
That means a good decision starts before the cast. Anglers need to understand how the boat will travel through an area, how much time a pass will require, and whether they can reproduce the angle that generated a bite. Small errors compound quickly. Poor boat position can turn a precise presentation into wasted motion, while clean control lets an angler spend more of the day fishing effectively.
Long Runs Turn Fishing Into Logistics
The river offers room to roam, but distance always has a price. A long run reduces fishing time, uses fuel, exposes the boat to changing conditions, and increases the importance of a reliable return plan. Add lock passage to the route and the schedule can depend on infrastructure as well as speed.
The 2026 Iroquois Lock delay is the clearest example. Planned windows did not prevent consequences when passage was delayed. That does not mean anglers should never make ambitious runs. It means the potential reward must be weighed against the number of things that can go wrong between the chosen water and check-in.
Good logistics are part of tournament strategy here. Fuel range, travel time, weather, traffic, lock timing, and a realistic margin all belong in the same calculation as fish quality. The strongest fishing plan can fail if the travel plan has no room for trouble.
Timing Is a Tournament Skill
The 2025 schedule made the daily boundary plain: a 6 a.m. takeoff and a 2 p.m. weigh-in. Within that window, every run, stop, adjustment, and final cast spends a limited resource. Tournament time is not just hours on a clock. It is usable fishing time after travel and return obligations are removed.
Experienced river anglers build checkpoints into the day. They know when a distant plan must produce, when to shift, and when to leave enough margin for the ride back. That discipline can feel conservative when fish are biting, but the 2026 penalties and disqualifications show why the clock cannot be treated as an afterthought.
How Local Anglers Can Prepare
You do not need to fish a national event to use these lessons. Preparation for a St. Lawrence bass day should cover both fishing and travel.
- Build more than one area into the plan. A backup close to the return route can protect the day when conditions or timing change.
- Practice boat control in current. Learn how your boat tracks at different angles and how wind changes each pass.
- Budget travel time honestly. Use conservative estimates and preserve a return cushion rather than planning around a perfect run.
- Check the whole boat. Fuel, batteries, safety gear, electronics, and basic tackle organization all affect how much useful time you have.
- Carry options without carrying chaos. Local preparation means having suitable bass tackle for changing depth, current, and conditions, then keeping it organized enough to adjust quickly.
None of that guarantees a winning bag. It does reduce preventable losses. On this river, preparation creates the space to make good fishing decisions when the day gets complicated.
The Lasting Lesson
From the 102-pound winning total at Waddington in 2024, to the close chase behind the winner in 2025, to the lock trouble that reshaped day one at Massena in 2026, these tournaments tell a consistent story. The St. Lawrence is generous in potential and unforgiving in execution.
Big smallmouth draw the attention, but current management, route planning, timing, and composure decide how much of that potential reaches the scale. That is why the river remains such a respected tournament test. It asks anglers to fish well and operate well, all in the same day.
Getting ready for your next bass trip on the St. Lawrence? Shop bass tackle from Shorette’s Bait & Tackle, or stop in and talk through your local river setup before you launch.