Chateaugay River.

The Chateaugay River drains north from the Saranac region toward the Canadian border — a working river that threads through farmland, state forest, and the village of Chateaugay before crossing into Quebec. It's better known to paddlers than anglers: the upper sections offer flat water through mixed hardwood corridors, while the lower stretch picks up current and occasional rapids depending on spring runoff. Access is scattered — a handful of informal pull-offs and town landings rather than formal DEC sites — and the river sees far less traffic than the Saranacs or the Ausable, which suits paddlers looking to avoid the summer crowds. Best run in May or early June when water levels cooperate.