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New York | St. Lawrence County
Grass River
Pyrites Route 21 kayak/canoe launch to Canton DEC launch area above the village dams
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A six-mile Class I Grass/Grasse River route from the public Pyrites Route 21 kayak/canoe launch to the Canton DEC launch area. The corridor adds a distinct North Country flatwater option with documented safe Pyrites parking and ADA carry, a public Canton endpoint, explicit small-dam boundary, and a downstream same-river proxy gauge.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Pyrites Route 21 kayak/canoe launchThe Pyrites facility is documented as a kayak/canoe launch with safe Route 21 loading/unloading parking and an ADA-accessible trail. Confirm current ownership, hours, parking, and any posted event-day restrictions before use.
Take-out
Canton DEC Grass River launch areaNYSDEC lists the Canton launch for canoes and small motorboats, but CanWePaddle identifies small dams in Canton. The route boundary is above those dams; verify the exact landing and do not portage or continue without a separate hazard/access review.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Pyrites facility is documented as a kayak/canoe launch with safe Route 21 loading/unloading parking and an ADA-accessible trail. Confirm current ownership, hours, parking, and any posted event-day restrictions before use.
- NYSDEC lists the Canton launch for canoes and small motorboats, but CanWePaddle identifies small dams in Canton. The route boundary is above those dams; verify the exact landing and do not portage or continue without a separate hazard/access review.
- The route uses the common Grass/Grasse River naming. Keep source names intact when searching locally, and treat the Chase Mills station as downstream proxy telemetry rather than a route-local reading.
Watch for
- USGS 04265432 proxy below 150 cfs, above 2,500 cfs, rising quickly, unavailable, or inconsistent with Pyrites/Canton visual conditions
- small dams and mandatory take-out boundary near Canton, shallow gravel, strainers, wind, cold water, and bridge approaches
- private banks, parking restrictions, launch maintenance, limited bailout options, daylight loss, and a proxy-gauge decision
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
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Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Grass River at Chase Mills, NY |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 150 cfs to 2,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,500 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Pyrites to Canton estimated runnable range: 150–2,500 cfs; Chase Mills station is a downstream same-river proxy |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Named New York corridorPyrites to Canton; 6 miles; Class I
CanWePaddle publishes the matching reach, distance, Class I character, season, endpoint names, proxy station, and conservative flow band.
- Public water accessPyrites Route 21 kayak/canoe launch and NYSDEC Canton Grass River launch
Grasse River Heritage documents safe parking and an ADA-accessible Pyrites launch trail, while NYSDEC lists the Canton hard-surface launch and its canoe/small-boat suitability.
- Proxy flow guidance150–2,500 cfs estimated runnable range using USGS 04265432 at Chase Mills
CanWePaddle labels Chase Mills as a downstream proxy and the range as conservative and informational; local inflow and Canton dam operations can diverge.
- Canton dam and launch contextTake out above Canton small dams at the DEC launch area
The route source sets the small-dam boundary and NYSDEC publishes the Canton launch location and facilities.
- Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 04265432, Grass River at Chase Mills, NY
USGS provides continuous telemetry at a same-river downstream proxy; local rainfall, tributary inflow, and dam operations can make route conditions diverge.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
CanWePaddle / Grasse River Heritage / NYSDEC St. Lawrence County access sources and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.
- Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation
The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict this exact reach.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- CanWePaddle / Grasse River Heritage / NYSDEC St. Lawrence County access sources route record
- Grasse River Heritage Pyrites launch and NYSDEC Canton launch listing
- CanWePaddle Pyrites to Canton conditions
- NYSDEC St. Lawrence County boating access guidance
- USGS 04265432 monitoring location
- USGS 04265432 current conditions
- Grass River context image
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Grass River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Grass River?
Paddle Today watches Grass River at Chase Mills, NY and treats 150 cfs to 2,500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Grass River route start and end?
This route starts at Pyrites Route 21 kayak/canoe launch and ends at Canton DEC Grass River launch area, about 6 river miles on the water.
Is this Grass River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
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