Did You Know? – St. Mary’s River

Did you know that the St Mary’s River is the only freighter passage between Lake Superior and the Lower Great Lakes? It is also an international border along its entire length of 120 kilometres.

Just below the river’s exit from Lake Superior lay the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, connected by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. Below the bridge are the St Mary’s Rapids. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the first locks were built to bypass these rapids and allow shipping throughout the Great Lakes. Today, the Soo Locks average about 10,000 ships per year.

One might think that with all this traffic fishing in the St Mary’s River would be difficult. To the contrary, the entire river offers exceptional fishing, especially in summer and early fall. Where else can one fish for Atlantic and Pacific Salmon in the same river at the same time? And fly fishing for Steelhead or Salmon in the rapids is an international attraction. There are dozens of sought-after species that live and spawn in this river and its tributaries.

Just another reason to Go Fish in Ontario!

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