Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet out of Point Judith continues to offer customers fall tautog trips as well as trips targeting black sea bass. They continue to dodge the weather, but when they get out, they’ve been doing work on the tautog grounds. Just yesterday, they got a full boat limit of tautog, with high hook anglers approaching double-digits of keeper-size fish. Rigs were the key, as they transition to fishing in deeper water. Water temps are still in the 50s and they haven’t ventured to the island yet, so it appears we are still in the thick of it. When it appears the bite is starting to wind down, you hit a rock pile and pull 50 keepers off it. The weather looks great for the weekend, besides being a bit cold, but they plan on sailing at 6 am Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Their full schedule plus reservations can be found on the website.
Dustin Stevens at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures provided the following report: “The blackfish bite has slowed down quite a bit, but there are still keepers in deep water. The holdover striper bite has been pretty solid in the backwaters and should remain that way until late winter/early spring. Most of the fish aren’t big, however, every now and then an over-slot fish will be caught. In addition to holdover stripers, white perch usually fire up around this time of year as well. Freshwater fishing is productive on the trout and panfish grounds, but the largemouth bite has been tough. After a great 2025 season we are looking forward to seeing some of you in 2026. Reach out to book your kayak fishing trip ASAP!”
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Elisa at Snug Harbor Marina said blackfishing has been very good. The party boats leaving the harbor have been crushing it with fish ranging from 8 pounds into the low double-digits. Newport has been getting hammered, so she recommended heading to places like Washington Ledge or Browns; 60 feet of water or more has been the key. Sea bass action has really come on in the past week, with Southwest Ledge, Middle Grounds and the Windmills yielding very good results with some ling in the mix as well. Squidding has been strong off Newport and in New Harbor. Striped bass fishing is still viable along the beaches from ‘Gansett to Charlestown; paddletails during the day and needles after dark have been hot items.
Captain Rob Taylor at Newport Sportfishing Charters continues to get after it on the fall bottom fishing grounds but noted that the weather windows have been tight and few. When he has been able to get out, the tautog bite has been holding up well, but he noted it’s time to start fishing in spots further to the south. These areas are producing quality fish to the low double-digit range and easy limits! Rob also mentioned that he has continued to see cod—which must be released—and keeper sea bass coming up.
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Eric, at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, provided the following report: “Fishing in the Ocean State has slowed down a bit as we enter December, but there are still fish to be had for those braving the conditions. The best thing going right now is tautog fishing. These fish have transitioned to deeper water, so spots to the south, on the way to and around the island have been producing well. You may have to move around at times to find a consistent bite, but once you dial it in there are still some nice keeper fish to be had. As far as striped bass fishing is concerned, some local surf anglers have been calling the last few weeks the most productive they’ve seen all season. If you can brave the cold and wind there are still some very nice bass around from shore!”
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence is now closed for the season and wanted to thank everyone for another great year. You can keep an eye on his Facebook page for re-opening updates. As far as fishing, the main interest for anglers across Rhode Island continues to be hunting for big tautog. The weather, wind and temperatures were less than ideal this week, but when anglers got out, they were successful in most cases. The fish are starting to transition to deeper water, so look for hard structure in 60 feet of water or more. The squid bite, he said, shows no signs of slowing, with good reports from local anglers off Newport and anglers heading out toward Block. Those that are still targeting striped bass are finding a few small fish out front, but most of the striped bass attention is on holdovers in the rivers and salt ponds. Freshwater anglers are reporting excellent trout fishing, following more fall stocking and improved flows in many of the streams.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
As has been the case throughout the fall, when there is a stretch of nicer weather, anglers have been able to find strong tautog results across Rhode Island. There are still some fish to be had close to home if you have to duck out of the wind, but the better bites are starting to come on the southern reefs and rock piles. The bigger fish have transitioned to deeper water around Block Island, but you don’t have to go crazy deep, with some quality fish coming from the 60-foot range. As anglers start working their way south, they are seeing better numbers of cod and some big sea bass as bycatch, but the cod have to be released.
Locally, squid fishing has been solid from Newport to Narragansett, with a number of anglers mentioning fresh calamari appetizers for Thanksgiving. Holdover striped bass fishing has started to garner more attention this week, both in the rivers and salt ponds. Late season trout fishing has been excellent across the state following the RIDEM fall stocking, and flows should finally be improving after a recent mix of rain and snow.