Rhode Island Fishing Report

River herring continue to course our tidal rivers and striped bass fishing remains excellent with larger bass showing up daily to score an easy meal. Things are starting to blossom in the salt, although the cool spring and the resulting cool water has kept us a few weeks behind. Meanwhile, spring freshwater fishing remains excellent across Rhode Island.

Ryan, from The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, was gearing up to take advantage of the pleasant weather and hit the water when I contacted the shop Wednesday. Striped bass reports have been solid, with schoolies being caught in excellent numbers across all of the Newport beaches. A few better fish have also started to show and Ryan was able to bag his first legal fish of the year earlier this week. Tautog continue to bite across Rhode Island although the number of keepers reported has fallen a bit since last week. The smaller, less-fished rockpiles across Newport are providing a better chance for a keepers as the more well-known spots have been fished hard.

Captain Thom at Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown reported that the larger striped bass have not yet found their way into the area but everyone is keeping plenty busy with schoolies from the West Wall, the Newport beaches and throughout the Providence River. The Westerly beaches are also starting to hold schoolies in better numbers and anglers have been cashing in with small Cocahoe Minnows, Zoom Super Flukes and small swimming plugs fished behind a teaser fly. It shouldn’t be long until some larger bass arrive as schools of big bait are now prevalent around Narragansett. The first schools of menhaden have been spotted in the bay, while all the rivers and estuaries remain loaded with migrating river herring. Thom reported that tautog fishing has slowed a bit since last week but anglers have still been able to manage fish right around the legal mark around the Narragansett breakwalls and rockpiles. A few fluke anglers headed out for the first time this week in search of some keeper flatfish but with water temperatures remaining on the low side, the only positive reports came in from the waters south of Block Island.

According to Thom, stellar freshwater fishing has made up for a cold and lackluster spring in the salt, as largemouth bass fishing is at its peak across the Ocean State. Big bass have been eager to hit just about anything, including both live and artificial baits. No one spot has proven better than any other as all the local bass lakes and ponds are producing with regularity.

Out at Galilee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett, Howard reported more of the same this week. School striped bass are all over the area, with a few reports of larger fish now becoming more common. A customer reported a large school of breaking bass off of the Charlestown Beaches this week and was able to manage a 38-inch specimen, which is one of the larger reported catches thus far. The squid that inundated the area over the past few weeks has thinned a bit but remains present, as anglers fishing bright squid jigs after dark have been rewarded with some good numbers.

Fishing Forecast for Rhode Island

The middle of May usually signifies the first opportunity at a great multi-species day in the salt, but with water temperatures a few degrees below the seasonal averages, time may be better spent combing the tidal rivers and estuaries for hungry stripers. Freshwater fishing doesn’t get much better than it is right now and this weekend may be a good one to go after some freshwater bass or trout before you bust out the saltwater gear for the season.