Rhode Island Fishing Report
Mild, early spring weather has taken hold in the Ocean State as March “comes in like a lion”. While the first week of the month has been full of wind and some spotty showers, much to the chagrin of sweetwater anglers, a new fishing season is around the corner, and it starts in the fresh water ponds.
Now that local lakes and ponds are devoid of ice, largemouth bass are the primary target of most wading and kayaking anglers. You’ll have to pick your lakes selectively though, as any water bodies stocked with trout over the winter are closed to fishing until trout season opens in April. Water temperatures are still very cold, so kayak anglers have a slight advantage over shore fishermen when it comes to covering water and finding productive areas to cast to lethargic largemouth. Finesse-style soft plastics, like Ned rigs, along with slow-moving lures like suspending jerkbaits are the key to getting bites in the early spring. However, on days with unobstructed sunlight and some slight wind and chop, chatterbaits and larger swimbaits will get looks and often lead to some surprisingly stout bass and large chain pickerel. As water temperatures slowly rise and the first schools of scout herring make an appearance, swimbaits, glidebaits, and wakebaits will lead to some substantial catches as bass, in pre-spawn feed mode, look to fatten up going into April. Chain pickerel, which spawn when water temps reach approximately 50 degrees, should provide some steady, reliable action until the bass bite really fires up.
In addition to pickerel and bass, anglers can target panfish like crappie, white perch, yellow perch, and sunfish with small soft plastics and micro baits like ultralight Rippin’ Raps. Unfortunately, trout fishing closed on February 28 but will reopen at 6 a.m. on the second Saturday in April, per RIDEM regulations.
The next best options that Rhody anglers have at their disposal are holdover stripers and white perch in the rivers and salt ponds. With a week of mostly mild weather ahead, and ice fishing season in the rear view, it’s just as good a time to hit the freshwater as it is to grab those inshore setups and cast soft plastics and minnow plugs for the first striper of the young season.
The Frances Fleet in Point Judith reported that it’s been an awful winter for sailing. High winds and rough seas have kept them tied to the dock, but they are hoping to get back out in the next couple weeks for cod. Come April 1, they’ll be running trips for cod and tautog to start the new saltwater season. Head over to francesfleet.com to book your spring tautog trip online!
Ralph Craft at Crafty One Customs said they’ll be at the New England Saltwater Fishing Show hosted by RISAA this weekend from March 7-9 at the RI Convention Center in Providence. The shop will return to regular hours following the show. Check them out if you’re looking to have a new custom rod built for the upcoming saltwater season!
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Dustin Stevens of Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures reported: “Now that the ice is gone it’s a great opportunity to fish open water again. With most of our freshwater fisheries closed until Opening Day, now is a good time to focus on holdover stripers and white perch in the salt ponds and estuaries. In addition to the brackish water opportunities, crossing state lines into Massachusetts or Connecticut opens up a lot of freshwater fishing opportunities. Mid- to late-March can be a great time to try catching what could be your biggest largemouth of the year. We are rolling out a fleet of Old Town Autopilots (motorized kayaks) in 2025, which will make a day on the water so much easier and more efficient. We have been booking trips this winter, so don’t wait too long to book your kayak fishing experience!” Head to rikfa.com today to explore trips and rates, and reach out to Dustin to inquire about availability for the 2025 saltwater season!
Eric at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown reported that holdover striped bass fishing is picking up in brackish creeks and salt ponds. It’s too early to see migratory fish, however, there has been some early osprey activity nearby, which means herring are on the way if they’re not already beginning to trickle in. Largemouth bass fishing, he said, is also improving as a result of warming weather trends, and that bite is only going to improve as those herring run up the rivers into freshwater ponds. The Saltwater Edge will be at the New England Saltwater Fishing Show this weekend, so swing by the booth to restock on tackle. Otherwise, grab your gear, get out, and wet a line!
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
With so many freshwater ponds closed to fishing until trout season reopens in April, the best options for Rhode Islanders this month lie in the estuaries and salt ponds. Small, unstocked freshwater ponds host some decent largemouth fishing, but holdover striped bass are the most reliable source of action. That said, it’s not easy fishing. Shore and wading anglers should focus on skinny water to improve chances of hooking up; choke points, mud flats adjacent to channels, deep holes, and funnels with enough current to serve up some fresh herring to those lingering linesiders will be the best places to begin the search. To further improve the likelihood of a holdover encounter, focus efforts on days with some sunshine and mild weather. Floating minnow plugs, along with soft plastic eels and shads, are some early spring favorites.
When it comes to white perch, brackish water tends to produce the best action. Much like striped bass, locating areas with current is key. An incoming tide will bring in cold water, while an outgoing tide will flush bait like small crustaceans, mummichogs, and silversides out of the warmer shallows. Anglers stand to catch Morone Americana by the dozen with a medium-light power freshwater setup, casting curly-tail grubs, micro plastics, spoons, and small jerkbaits that resemble spearing and killifish.
Of course, if your largemouth honey hole is inaccessible and you’re up for a brief road trip, there are some stellar bass fishing opportunities on Cape Cod and in Connecticut.
We’re in the home stretch of winter, which is beginning to feel like spring. Get in the saltwater spirit with a visit to the New England Saltwater Fishing Show this weekend, and enjoy targeting white perch and holdover stripers locally until the fishing season ramps up come April 1.