Rhode Island fishing reports
156 reports for Rhode Island — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Hardtails and tog hold the fall run in Narragansett Bay
Water is holding near 65°F at both NOAA CO-OPS stations, and the fall run is back on the feed after last weekend's nor'easter. Per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), hardtails are still around in decent force, striped bass fishing is booming, and tog are chewing. The Fisherman — Rhode Island reports bass and bluefish working the salt ponds and breachways from shore while boaters sat tied up for most of the week.
Fall run builds on Narragansett Bay as striper action waits on cooler nights
Narragansett Bay water sat at 65.7°F and 66.6°F at two NOAA CO-OPS stations as of 6:54 AM ET, so the bay is still holding summer warmth. Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) called striped bass 'pretty lackluster for most' in its September forecast, but expected the bite to improve with chilly nights and northerly winds. Plan around the afternoon high tides, roughly 1:56 PM and 2:10 PM ET.
Tautog Bite Builds in Narragansett Bay as Fall Shift Continues
Water temperatures in Narragansett Bay are holding in the mid-60s, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8452660 reading 64.4°F and station 8452944 at 63.9°F early this morning. Saltwater Edge reports the tautog bite is picking up as the fall run gets underway, while striped bass action has stayed lackluster for most anglers through September. The shop expects stripers to improve once chilly nights and northerly winds move in this week, and notes the annual striper "bass rafts" are beginning to form along the coast.
Fall run builds in Narragansett Bay as storm clears, tautog season nears
Water temperatures held in the mid-60s across Narragansett Bay this week, reading 64.4°F at Newport and 63.7°F at Conimicut Light, as anglers waited out a nor'easter. Per The Fisherman — Rhode Island's shop network, striped bass are moving into the salt ponds and breachways: Snug Harbor Marina reported good numbers of bass back in the ponds, and Quonnie Bait and Tackle had local anglers picking up bass and bluefish from the shore despite rough seas keeping boats tied to the dock. Saltwater Edge Blog notes false albacore have taken over the oceanfront and the tautog bite is building, while the striped bass surf bite has been lackluster but should improve with the colder nights and northerly winds forecast this week.
Fall Run Builds in Narragansett Bay as Albies Push Inshore
Water temperatures read 64.4°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8452660 and 63.3°F at station 8452944 as of this afternoon, marking the cooldown that's been triggering the region's fall bait exodus. Per Saltwater Edge (RI), false albacore have moved onto the oceanfront chasing peanut bunker and silversides pushing out of the salt ponds, while striped bass have been slower for most anglers on the open coast. The Fisherman — Rhode Island's shop roundup tells a different story closer to shore: Snug Harbor Marina and Quonnie Bait and Tackle both reported striped bass and some bluefish coming from the salt ponds, breachways, and beaches, with surfcasters finding fish tucked into areas sheltered from wind and swell.
False Albacore Hold Steady as Striper Bite Turns in Narragansett Bay
Newport's NOAA CO-OPS gauge (station 8452660) read 64°F this morning, with offshore buoys 44097 and 44085 showing a lingering 3-5 ft wind swell. The fall run has settled into Narragansett Bay: Saltwater Edge Blog (RI) reports false albacore holding over the oceanfront and around the islands, and The Fisherman — Rhode Island's Quonnie Bait and Tackle report describes daytime surface feeds mixing striped bass, bluefish, and false albacore along local beaches and breachways after dark. Fluke numbers have thinned but quality fish remain, per Snug Harbor Marina, while Frances Fleet is still limiting out on black sea bass on full-day trips.
Fall Run Builds in Narragansett Bay as Albies, Stripers Mix
NOAA's Narragansett Bay tide stations read 63.7°F and 64.4°F this morning, with both approaching high tide near 8 AM. Saltwater Edge reports false albacore have taken over the oceanfront and the tautog bite is picking up, while striped bass, lackluster most of the summer, are picking back up, per The Fisherman's Rhode Island report. Quonnie Bait and Tackle has surfcasters finding bass along the beaches and breachways after dark, working live eels, swimming plugs and soft plastics through mixed surface feeds of striped bass, bluefish and false albacore.
Full Moon tides set the pace on Narragansett Bay this week
Narragansett Bay water held at 65.1°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8452660 and 65.5°F at station 8452944 this morning, squarely in range for the region's early-fall shift. Tonight's Full Moon pushes bigger tidal swings and stronger current through the bay, the kind of push that typically gets the fall bite moving in Rhode Island waters. High tide rolls through around 7:19-7:30 AM with the low following near 1:08-1:09 PM, giving a clean early-morning window before the sun climbs.
Striped bass push back to life as Narragansett Bay's fall run ramps up
Bay water temps held at 66.4°F and 66.9°F at the two Narragansett Bay CO-OPS stations overnight, still mild enough to keep the fall transition moving without shutting anything down. Per The Fisherman — Rhode Island, anglers working the islands and the Narragansett shoreline are finding good false albacore action, and striped bass fishing is picking back up after a slower stretch. The same report has fluke numbers thinning at Snug Harbor Marina, though a 12.2-pound flattie still crossed the scale over the weekend, while Frances Fleet is still limiting out on full-day fluke trips with black sea bass mixed in.
Fall run builds in Narragansett Bay as albies, tautog turn on
NOAA CO-OPS readings show Narragansett Bay water in the mid-to-upper 60s this afternoon — 67.5°F at station 8452944 and 66.2°F at station 8452660. Per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), the fall run has "kicked off in a big way" over the past couple of weeks: false albacore have taken over the oceanfront and the tautog bite is picking up, while striped bass have stayed comparatively lackluster for most anglers so far.
False albacore hold strong as Narragansett stripers wake up
Narragansett Bay water sits at 67°F this morning, per NOAA CO-OPS readings from Newport and Conimicut Light, still carrying late-summer warmth into the equinox week. False albacore are the story right now: The Fisherman — Rhode Island reports anglers finding albies and green bonito around the islands and in Newport Harbor with good results, and Saltwater Edge says albies have taken over the oceanfront. Striped bass are waking back up too. Saltwater Edge and The Fisherman — Rhode Island both note the bite picking up, and Quonnie Bait and Tackle reports nice bass in the surf and breachways after dark on live eels, swimming plugs, and soft plastics. Bottom fishing holds steady, with Frances Fleet limiting out on fluke and black sea bass.
Fall run takes hold as stripers return to Narragansett Bay
Water held in the upper 60s this week — 66.9°F at Newport and 68.4°F at Conimicut Light per NOAA CO-OPS — as the fall run keeps building across Narragansett Bay. Striped bass are stirring back to life along the beaches and breachways, with surfcasters at Quonnie Bait and Tackle finding fish after dark on live eels, swimming plugs and soft plastics, mixed with bluefish and false albacore during daytime surface feeds. Saltwater Edge reports false albacore working the oceanfront in solid numbers, with the strongest action around the islands and Newport Harbor, though the bite has turned finicky at times. Fluke are still producing: Frances Fleet keeps limiting out on full-day trips, and Snug Harbor Marina weighed in a 12.2-pound fish over the weekend even as overall numbers thin, with the biggest fluke typically the last to leave.