A legendary smallmouth bass river and a rich multispecies fishery, the Susquehanna River is one of the most treasured waterways in the Mid-Atlantic region. For the most part, the river is broad, rocky and shallow (“a mile wide and a foot deep,” in the words of early settlers) with an abundance of islands, pools, rocky outcroppings and ledges that support not only smallmouth bass but also walleye, channel catfish and a host of other species. The longest river in the Eastern United States, the Susquehanna River traverses 444 miles from Otsego Lake in New York to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The bulk of the river flows southward through Pennsylvania. Long touted as one of America’s best smallmouth rivers, the Susquehanna remains a bass powerhouse despite some ups and downs in recent times. It’s not unusual to catch 50 or more bronzebacks averaging 12 to 16 inches in a day, and bass over 20 inches and 4 pounds are not uncommon.