Albies Take Over as Fall Run Hits Narragansett Bay
Bay water temps are holding near 67°F at Rhode Island's CO-OPS tide stations, and per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) the fall run has kicked off in a big way over the past couple of weeks. False albacore and bonito have taken over the oceanfront, and the tautog bite is picking up. Striped bass have been comparatively lackluster, though the shop expects that to change with cooling nights and forecast northerly winds. Offshore, NOAA buoy 44097 logged 5.2-foot seas this morning against a calmer 2.6 feet at buoy 44085 closer to the Bay mouth.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
Fish this water?
We're light on local intel here. Send us your report and we'll credit you.
Send a reportWhat's next
Low tide at the Bay's CO-OPS stations falls near 11:00 a.m. today, with the next high around 5:40 p.m. — that afternoon push into early evening lines up with the low-light window albies have favored per Saltwater Edge.
If the northerly winds the shop is watching move in this week, look for striped bass to shake off their slow start as water temps ease further from the upper 60s. The waxing gibbous moon building toward full should sharpen tide swings heading into the weekend, worth planning trips around for both the oceanfront blitz bite and tautog around structure.
Context
Late September sits at the heart of the fall run in Narragansett Bay: peanut bunker, silversides, and bay anchovies push out of the salt ponds and estuaries toward the oceanfront, pulling predators like false albacore in behind them. Tautog activity typically builds through fall as fish move onto structure ahead of winter, in line with the current pickup. An active albie run with striped bass still lagging is a normal fall sequence for the region, not an early or delayed season.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
EVERY SATURDAY MORNING
Weekly fishing intelligence
Nationwide conditions, what's biting, and honest gear deals. One email, no noise.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.