Rhode Island Fishing Report
Over at the Frances Fleet in Point Judith, they are eagerly waiting the return of nicer weather with plans to start fishing for tautog and cod as soon as conditions and interest permit. They will be adding squid trips, too, as soon as the bite starts to come together. The fleet is starting to book their spring tautog trips now, while bookings for the squid and fluke trips should start to pop up closer to May. They are also making reservations for private charters for the 2026 season. The full schedule can always be found on their website, where you can also make reservations. With warm weather right around the corner, the crew is looking forward to getting back on the water soon!
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reports that anglers are getting excited about the prospect of saltwater fishing. A few anglers are finding some tautog, but the bite hasn’t fully developed yet, as we’re still a few degrees away from it picking up. Anglers looking for holdover striped bass are reportedly catching well in the usual early season haunts. Dave predicts a strong spring run, with the heavy snow melt from up north keeping the water flowing, cool, and oxygenated. Dave will be opening for the season on the 10th of April, and will be fully stocked for your opening day freshwater, or saltwater needs. He will be open from 430 AM to 7 PM until Memorial Day weekend, then will be open daily from 430-8 from Memorial Day weekend through the rest of the season.
Over at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, they have heard reports of a few holdover striped bass being caught in the upper bay and some of the rivers and salt ponds along the South County beaches. Fishing for largemouth bass has been producing some nice-sized bucket mouths and trout fishing will be open on April 11th. Squid should start to move back into the area later in April with fluke and striped bass not far behind. The store is open 7 days a week, from 9 to 5 Monday through Saturday and 9 to 3 on Sunday and they are well stocked for all your angling needs. On April 11th, they will be holding their annual Striper Kickoff and Surf Expo. The event kicks off at 9 a.m. with a plug show, which is free to attend, followed by an instructional Surf Expo which starts at 1 p.m. Tickets are required for the Surf Expo and can be purchased on their website or at the shop.
Matt, at Snug Harbor Marina has heard of a few holdover striped bass being caught in rivers and salt ponds. With herring moving into the area, larger holdovers will be feeding on them, and larger swimming plugs or soft plastics can be very effective. With water temps still in the high 30s in the ocean, there isn’t much going on yet, but migratory striped bass should move into the area in the next few weeks. Trout fishing will start on April 11th, and anglers are having some luck now targeting largemouth bass, pike, and panfish. They are not keeping regular hours at the shop yet, but someone is typically there on Saturday’s from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also call ahead and arrange a time to meet someone there. They are still taking in a good amount of gear for their annual used tackle sale, which will be held May 2nd and 3rd.
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Captain Rob Taylor at Newport Sportfishing Charters told me he’s spending most of his time getting the boat ready for the upcoming season. That said, he’s found some time to target big largemouth bass and has had plenty of success. The water is still cold, so the fish want slow presentations, mainly jigs, but they’re chewing well. He’ll be transitioning to salt soon, so be sure to lock down a date for a spring tog or striper trip before it’s too late!
Dustin Stevens at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that the holdover striped bass bite has been more consistent as the water temperature has warmed up. Most fish are in the 16- to 22-inch range, however, there are some nice ones around as well. The opening day tautog bite was slow with water temperatures around 42 degrees, but the fish are biting in about 25 to 40 feet. A few degrees in water temperature can make a big difference, so the spring tautog action could really kick into gear if we can string together a few consistently warm days. Freshwater fishing has been very consistent for largemouth bass on a variety of reaction baits. Keep in mind Rhode Island’s trout-stocked waters are closed until the second Saturday in April. Dustin said they are ready for the 2026 season, so reach out to book your kayak fishing trip ASAP.
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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
While anglers across Rhode Island wait for better weather to help facilitate their saltwater fishing, there are some tautog and holdover striped bass close enough to home to help you get your fix without venturing too far. Tautog season has started off slowly, which is to be expected after this cold winter/spring, but it should only improve as we get more consistent warm weather. Our holdover striped bass seem to be waking up as more river herring enter the systems, and we’re a mere couple of weeks away before the masses of migratory fish show up.
Largemouth bass reports have been improving, along with calico bass (crappie), both of which are providing nice options for freshwater anglers as they wait for opening day of trout season next weekend.