Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Stop #5 of the 2025 NPFL season is officially underway here in New York. Hosted by the Town of Massena, the next three days will showcase one of the most iconic smallmouth fisheries in the country—the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. Daily takeoffs begin at 7:00 AM, with weigh-ins kicking off at 3:00 PM from the Massena Boat Launch. Live coverage streams Thursday and Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST.
Early summer conditions have set the stage for a strong bite, with many smallmouth just coming off the spawn and still roaming shallow sand flats, boulders, and current seams. Sight-fishing and power-fishing are both expected to play, especially on the river, while a few deeper groups may already be forming as fish begin transitioning out. With fish spread across the system and plenty of active roamers still up shallow, expect big bags and visual bites to be part of the story. The wild card will be largemouth, which may or may not be a factor, but count on at least a few making an appearance!
Anglers’ Take
While this marks the first-ever NPFL event in New York, the venue is familiar territory for much of the field. The St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario have become a must-visit destination for smallmouth bass tournaments, with nearly every major league returning to the fishery year after year.
This week, Lake Ontario is the buzz—mainly due to the wind and weather that can quickly alter an angler’s gameplan. With takeoff happening far upriver in Massena, anglers eyeing the lake are facing a nearly 95-mile run one way. Throw in the no-forward-facing-sonar rule, and those making the haul will need to be locked in and efficient with the limited fishing time they’ll have.
As usual, Florida pro John Cox entered the day undecided on a plan, unsure whether he’d commit to the long run. “I don’t think I found enough to make the run,” he said. “But I’ve got a long day, and I’ll just figure it out as I go.”
North Carolina’s KJ Queen, currently inside the top 10 in Progressive Angler of the Year points, was prepared to gamble. “I’ll be running all day,” he said. “I think I’m going almost to the off-limits.”
Alabama angler Wes Logan reported a familiar story for his St. Lawrence practice—lots of bites, but the key will be quality. “The key here is catching 4-plus-pound fish,” he said. “Bites aren’t hard to come by.”
When anglers check in at 3:00 PM EST, we’ll find out who made the long run, who stayed close, and which gamble paid off.
Weather Watch
A cool start to the morning in the North means anglers are launching in mid-60s temps with light south winds around 5 MPH. Conditions will warm to a high near 80 this afternoon, with light and variable winds throughout the day—ideal for those making long runs to Lake Ontario.
How to Watch
Tune in daily to watch the action from Massena, New York and the beautiful St. Lawrence River. Catch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers from upstate New York
Catch the LIVE Coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat at TNPFL.com on days two and three.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Fishing Chaos Catch Track with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins, here!
And be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & X.
