See all 9 routes on South Branch Grass River
New York | St. Lawrence County / Cranberry Lake and DeGrasse
South Branch Grass River
South Branch Grass River State Fishing Access Site to DeGrasse State Forest hand launch
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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
An advanced planning-only 6.9-mile South Branch Grass River section from the current NYSDEC State Fishing Access Site near Route 3 through the Twin Falls and pool-and-drop sequence to the DeGrasse State Forest hand launch. American Whitewater identifies the named reach, feature-level hazards, and DeGrasse bridge/take-out boundary; NYSDEC confirms the upstream hand-access context, the South Branch’s high-water character, the downstream DeGrasse launch, and primitive camping facilities.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
South Branch Grass River State Fishing Access SiteThe Route 3 point is the current DEC South Branch Fishing Access Site anchor, and the DeGrasse point is the current DEC State Forest hand-launch anchor; neither coordinate is presented as a surveyed dock or exact waterline point.
Take-out
DeGrasse State Forest South Branch hand launchThe stored middle bridge point is a feature/scouting anchor from the route source, not an authorized take-out. Do not assume that a road bridge, fishing-rights parcel, or visible bank permits vehicle access or a landing.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Route 3 point is the current DEC South Branch Fishing Access Site anchor, and the DeGrasse point is the current DEC State Forest hand-launch anchor; neither coordinate is presented as a surveyed dock or exact waterline point.
- The stored middle bridge point is a feature/scouting anchor from the route source, not an authorized take-out. Do not assume that a road bridge, fishing-rights parcel, or visible bank permits vehicle access or a landing.
- NYSDEC describes the South Branch as high-water-limited, while American Whitewater includes severe features and historical level observations. Local visual assessment, recent weather, wood, water temperature, and group skill control the launch decision.
- The route ends at DeGrasse before any lower Grass or Pyrites continuation. Follow current land, access, camping, conservation-easement, and seasonal-closure rules rather than inferring rights from navigability.
Watch for
- USGS 04265432 unavailable, rapidly changing, or inconsistent with the local South Branch visual
- Large Marge/Rainbow Falls, Whip-it Good, Flat Rock Falls, Adrenaline Falls, Twin Falls, Iron Bridge/Sinclair Falls, Basford Falls, final DeGrasse rapid, wood, strainers, sticky holes, shallow rock, cold water, and limited rescue positions
- Route 3 parking/carry, bridge and traffic exposure, DeGrasse landing/parking, road and gate status, private banks, leased camps, logging, and the mandatory downstream boundary
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | No numeric go/no-go threshold published for this reach; American Whitewater describes a seasonal Class IV–V pool-and-drop section and reports only a broad proxy status. Use Chase Mills as downstream same-river context plus local visual assessment, recent rain, wood, temperature, and feature-by-feature scouting. |
| 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 moving-water corridorTwin Falls / State Put-in to DeGrasse; 6.9 miles; Class IV–V
American Whitewater publishes the exact lower South Branch reach, feature sequence, route directions, DeGrasse boundary, and advanced difficulty.
- Public upstream accessSouth Branch Grass River Fishing Access Site near Route 3
NYSDEC lists the public South Branch access site across from the paved Route 3 rest area and bridge.
- Public downstream access and campingDeGrasse State Forest South Branch hand launch with lean-to and primitive camping context
NYSDEC lists the hand launch, river frontage, pit privy, picnic table, lean-to, and primitive-camping rules.
- Feature and flow postureSeasonal high-consequence pool-and-big-drop reach; no numeric threshold accepted
American Whitewater supplies route-specific feature hazards and historical flow observations, while the current route uses the live Chase Mills Grass River station only as a same-river downstream proxy and requires local inspection.
- Proxy flow contextUSGS 04265432 Grass River at Chase Mills
This is downstream same-river telemetry, not a local threshold for the lower South Branch; branch inflow, rain, wood, and feature conditions control.
- Route imageUSGS Grass River station photograph used as clearly labeled same-river context
The presentation image is river context and does not claim to depict the Twin Falls, portages, or DeGrasse landing.
- Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 04265432, Grass River at Chase Mills, NY
USGS 04265432 at Chase Mills is a downstream same-river proxy for this remote South Branch reach. Tributary inflow, rainfall, dam operations, wood, water temperature, bedrock, and feature conditions can diverge materially; no numeric threshold is asserted.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
American Whitewater / NYSDEC Grass River Complex and DeGrasse State Forest 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.
- American Whitewater / NYSDEC Grass River Complex and DeGrasse State Forest route record
- NYSDEC Grass River Complex and DeGrasse State Forest access anchors
- American Whitewater Lower South Branch flow and feature notes
- NYSDEC Grass River Complex paddling and portage guidance
- USGS 04265432 monitoring location
- USGS 04265432 current conditions
- South Branch 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
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
South Branch Grass River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling South Branch Grass River?
Paddle Today watches Grass River at Chase Mills, NY and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this South Branch Grass River route start and end?
This route starts at South Branch Grass River State Fishing Access Site and ends at DeGrasse State Forest South Branch hand launch, about 6.9 whitewater river miles on the water.
Is this South Branch Grass River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.