Rhode Island fishing reports
156 reports for Rhode Island — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Fall run keeps Narragansett Bay fishing on the feed
Water temperature sits in the low 60s across Narragansett Bay, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8452660 reading 62.2°F and station 8452944 reading 61.5°F. That is a comfortable fall range, and per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) the October fall run is on: after a hard nor'easter over the weekend, things are settling and fish are back on the feed. The shop notes the water may need a few more days to clean up in most spots, so expect some color early in the week. Saltwater Edge also reports hardtails still around in decent force, bass fishing blowing up as you'd expect for October, and tog chewing.
Fall run keeps Narragansett Bay anglers on the move
Water temperature is holding in the low 60s across Narragansett Bay, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8452660 reading 62.6°F and station 8452944 at 62.1°F. That is comfortably in the range where the fall run stays active. Per Saltwater Edge this week, a hard nor'easter has moved through, things are settling, and fish are back on the feed. The shop notes the water may need a few more days to clean up in most spots. They report the hardtails still around in decent force, bass fishing blowing up as you'd expect for October, and tog chewing.
Fall run stays on as Narragansett Bay water settles
Water in Narragansett Bay is holding near 63°F this afternoon. NOAA CO-OPS station 8452660 reads 62.6°F and station 8452944 reads 62.8°F, both as of 1:12 PM local. Per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), the fall run is on after a hard nor'easter, fish are back on the feed, and the water may need a few more days to clean up in most spots. Today is a New Moon, so expect stronger than average tidal movement through the week.
Striped bass stay active in Narragansett Bay breachways as tautog bite builds
Narragansett Bay water temperatures are holding near 63°F across NOAA CO-OPS stations 8452660 and 8452944, typical for mid-October. Striped bass remain the story in South County: Snug Harbor Marina and Quonnie Bait and Tackle both report good fishing in the breachways and along the beaches, with a Saltwater Edge report via The Fisherman — Rhode Island noting fish feeding tight to structure around the islands. Tautog action is building, too, called "improving" in that same report, though Snug Harbor Marina and Quonnie both note plenty of short fish mixed with keepers. Black sea bass stayed strong through the week — Frances Fleet and Booked Off Charters each reported a full boat limit of keepers after the recent storm pushed smaller fish out of the mix. False albacore are a mixed signal: the Saltwater Edge report says albies have largely moved off the oceanfront, while Snug Harbor Marina still found reports of them working the windmills south of Block Island.
Fall Run Finds Its Rhythm in Narragansett Bay
NOAA CO-OPS readings put Narragansett Bay water temperature at 63°F this morning, still well within fall-run range. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) reports the bay is settling down after this past weekend's nor'easter, with water clarity needing a few more days to fully clean up in some spots. Today's New Moon brings stronger tidal swings, with low tide across the bay's monitored stations falling in the early afternoon.
Striped bass blitz holds strong as Narragansett Bay clears post-storm
Narragansett Bay is settling into its fall rhythm, with water running 63.7°F at the Bay's mouth (NOAA station 8452660) and a cooler 62.4°F upriver at Conimicut Light (8452944) as the seasonal cool-down pushes in from the back of the Bay. Per Saltwater Edge in Middletown, striped bass fishing is "blowing up" now that last week's nor'easter has cleared through, with surf and boat anglers doing well around the islands. The Fisherman's Rhode Island contributors back that up: Snug Harbor Marina has stripers producing along the south county beaches and breachways, and Quonnie Bait and Tackle adds Watch Hill Reefs as a reliable boat bite. Offshore, black sea bass fishing is strong as well — Frances Fleet logged a full boat limit of keepers this week, and Booked Off Charters is seeing better numbers of keeper-size fish now that smaller sea bass have thinned out.
Striped bass blowing up in Narragansett Bay breachways as tautog bite builds
Water holds at 62.8°F at both the Newport-area CO-OPS stations (8452660, 8452944) as of midday, a normal reading for early October ahead of the real fall cool-down. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) reports striped bass fishing "blowing up" around the islands, with fish feeding tight to structure on bait, and says the tautog bite is chewing and getting better by the week. The Fisherman — Rhode Island's shop network backs that up: Snug Harbor Marina and Quonnie Bait and Tackle both have stripers producing well along the south county beaches and breachways, while Frances Fleet and Booked Off Charters report fuller black sea bass keeper counts since the recent nor'easter pushed the smaller fish out. False albacore are a mixed bag this week — Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) says the albies have moved off for now, while Snug Harbor Marina is still marking some around the windmills south of Block Island.
Fall cooldown settles over Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay's two NOAA tide stations are both reading water temperatures in the low 60s tonight, 63.7°F at station 8452660 and 63.3°F at station 8452944, confirming the bay has settled into its autumn cooling pattern. Low tide falls just after midnight, with the next high around 6:30 to 6:45 tomorrow morning, bracketing a dawn window worth building a trip around. Conditions this week point toward that seasonal shift rather than a single standout bite.
Striped bass and sea bass turn on in Narragansett Bay breachways
NOAA CO-OPS readings at Newport (62.1°F) and Conimicut Light (62.4°F) show Narragansett Bay still comfortably in range for an active fall bite. Saltwater Edge reports surf and boat anglers doing well on striped bass tight to structure around the islands, and tautog reports are improving as October progresses. Frances Fleet and Booked Off Charters are both posting easy limits of keeper black sea bass, with Booked Off Charters noting the storm pushed smaller fish out and left better-sized sea bass behind. False albacore have been inconsistent: Saltwater Edge says the albies have largely moved off for now, while Snug Harbor Marina is still finding some working the windmills south of Block Island.
Striped bass hold strong along RI's south county breachways
Water temps read 63°F at the lower bay entrance and 62.4°F further up the bay this week, still mild for early October. Striped bass fishing remains strong per Saltwater Edge, with surf and boat anglers doing well around the islands as fish feed tight to structure. Quonnie Bait and Tackle and Snug Harbor Marina both report good striper action along the south county beaches and breachways, with fish also showing around the Watch Hill Reefs for boat anglers. Black sea bass has picked up since the recent nor'easter pushed smaller fish out of the mix — Frances Fleet logged a full boat limit, and Booked Off Charters reports easier keeper counts with fewer shorts to sort through. Tautog are improving too, though Quonnie and Snug Harbor both flag plenty of short fish still in the catch as the bite builds. False albacore have moved off for now, per Saltwater Edge.
Fall run settling into Narragansett Bay after weekend nor'easter
Water is reading 63°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8452660 and 63°F at station 8452944. Saltwater Edge reports fish are back on the feed after a weekend nor'easter, though the water needs a few more days to clean up in most spots. Anglers Journal describes the weeks before the equinox as the stretch when fall blitzes build, with baitfish and gamefish pushing south or offshore. The fall run looks to be settling in rather than still waiting to start.
Bay bass feeding tight to structure as the fall run builds
Block Island's buoy 44097 reads 62°F and tide station 8452660 reads 62.8°F, so the water is holding late-summer warmth into the fall run. Per The Fisherman — Rhode Island, Saltwater Edge is seeing striped bass feed on bait tight to structure around the islands, with surf and boat anglers both doing well, and Quonnie Bait and Tackle reports bass working the breachways and beaches. Green bonito have returned while false albacore have moved off for now.