Rhode Island Fishing Report – April 16, 2020

Freshwater action is great across Rhode Island and Connecticut, while some fresh striped bass have joined the holdovers. Meanwhile, the tautog and flounder action is showing some signs of life for the salty anglers looking to get after it this weekend.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Captain Rob Taylor, of Newport Sportfishing Charters, told me that some fresh fish have arrived in South County, with some steady catches along the west wall and in front of the salt ponds. The largemouth bite remains strong across the state; the fish are feeding at both day and night, with faster presentations starting to work better. The carp bite has picked up quite a bit, and they are starting to feed in shallower water, which is making things fun. There are a few tautog being caught in the upper bay, but we still need a few more warm days before that really takes off.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, is back in the shop and had some encouraging reports for me. Rhode Island has followed the path of Connecticut and has opened the trout season early. They’ve adjusted the schedule to allow anglers to fish on alternate days and avoid crowds, see the DEM website for more info. The trout are certainly eating, with powerbait and worms producing the best for spin anglers and typical junk flies working for the fly fishermen. The white perch are starting to chew on worms and small jigs, while the tautog bite has started to materialize on rigs/jigs tipped with crabs. Holdover striped bass are still all over the herring runs and we should be seeing some fresh fish any day now. The Seekonk and Providence Rivers are holding good numbers of holdovers, and the same can be said for the Narrow River and the CT tidal estuaries. Largemouth bass fishing remains good all over the state, especially in the shallows on sunnier days. Ocean State Tackle will remain open with window service on weekdays from 7-4 and on weekends from 6-2.

Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, has been in and out of the shop and suggests giving him a call ahead if you’re looking for something. He’s open on a limited basis, with only 3 customers in the shop at once, but is willing to help anyone out if they give him a head’s up. The shop is well stocked for both saltwater and freshwater, and he should have some green crabs soon. Small striped bass are still being caught in the Pawcatuck River, and there has been some word of some fresh fish arriving along the beaches this week. Trout fishing has been good despite the early week’s rain, and it appears the DEM did a great job with their early stocking! Some other locals have taken to the salt ponds and have found some good clamming on the warmer days.

Captain Frank of Frances Fleet in Narragansett has suspended trips at the time being due to the virus and is hoping to get back out there as soon as possible, even if it’s with limited trips. Be sure to keep an eye on their website for updates.

Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Rhode Island.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Gene, at Black Hall Outfitters told me that the trout fishing has been nothing short of awesome. Fly anglers are scoring on frenchies and pheasant tails, along with nymphing deep pools. Spin anglers continue to clean up on meal worms and the rest of the usual trout offerings. The bass and crappie bite is picking up, with smaller fish of both species moving into shallower water, even in the deep lakes. Larger fish remain deep, with quality largemouth sitting on the outermost weed lines and lay downs. Saltwater anglers are finding some blackfish, mainly in 50-60 feet of water on green crabs and sandworms. Flounder anglers are finding a decent bite in spurts in the local rivers and harbors.

Josh, at Three Belles Outfitters in Niantic , says fresh striped bass have entered the sound and are being caught in hotspots from West Haven to Groton. Most are schoolies, but there are a few small keepers mixed in. The holdover populations have really come alive in the past week inside the rivers, hitting subsurface and topwater presentations in shallow water. Tautog also remains steady, with easy limits if you know where to look. Largemouth bass fishing is up and down with the conditions. Smaller ponds are holding in the mid 50’s, and the fish will be shallower than deeper. Smallmouth bass fishing has remained steady at Candlewood and Lilly, and a couple reports of decent CT. River smallies have come through over the week. Pike fishing has been quiet in the CT. River, after the recent floods, but several decent fish were caught at Lilly.

Andrew, at Fishin Factory III in Middletown, is still selling sandworms at a fever pace, despite the CT River coming up quite a bit and looking a bit dirty. Anglers consistently dunking worms are reporting good catches of school striped bass locally, and some better fish are hitting large soft plastics along the herring runs. Blackfish action is slowly but steadily improving, specifically on the shallow structure west of the river. White perch action remains strong in the lower river coves, while trout anglers are still reporting good catches all over the state. Andrew will remain open, but is still limiting it to 3 customers at the shop at once, and is still offering free hand sanitizer right outside the door!

Mike Roy, of Reel Cast Charters, was happy to report that he got his new boat (23 Pathfinder) complete and ready to roll for the season. This thing is an absolute fishing machine with plenty of space, storage and all the features you’d expect from the Reel Cast Charters operation. He is starting to book spring bass trips and told me that there is a decent bite starting to materialize in the Saybrook area. He will be offering disposable gloves to his clients, constantly disinfect the boat and can likely cater to smaller trips if need be. This won’t last forever, be sure to book a trip as soon as possible so you can get in on the great action this summer/fall when all this is past us!

Over at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, Rich reports that the striper fishing has continued to get better in local waters. There are school-class fish all over the beaches and estuaries, while more and more larger bass continue to show up around the herring runs. The fish seem to prefer worms and soft plastics, but anglers are starting to get a rise on topwaters! Blackfish reports are still slowly and surely improving in the western sound, and the fish seem to be very shallow. There have been a few decent flounder catches on the mud flats, and they should improve if we can get some warmer weather. Local trout action took a bit of hit due to the rain, but the bite is starting to intensify once again. The Saugatuck Reservoir has been a go-to spot for anglers looking to socially distance, and word is the bass and trout bite has been pretty good.

Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Connecticut.

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

The outdoors could be a great release for those looking to avoid crowds but still get out of the house. Freshwater bass action has been strong in Rhode Island and Connecticut, while trout action is picking up once again as the rivers settle. The early Connecticut opener has really put a jolt into the trout fishing, and Rhode Island has now followed suit with an early opener. Holdover striped bass are on the feed as more and more herring pump into the rivers and with the arrival of some fresh bass, there are plenty of striped bass options across our range! Tautog and flounder fishing is by no means hot, but signs are pointing in the right direction and with a nice weekend on tap, a multi-species trip may be on tap!