Rhode Island Fishing Report

The Frances Fleet in Point Judith has seen steady action on recent tautog trips with many anglers catching their limit, along with some nice black sea bass for the cooler. There have even been some keeper cod in the mix on the tog grounds, which is always a nice bonus. When they’ve been able to run their cod and black sea bass trips, they have seen boat limits of black sea bass, along with a few cod. There have been so many sea bass around that it has been tough to find cod at times, but those numbers should normalize soon. You can view the full schedule and make reservations on their website. 

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reports that the late fall run remains status quo across Rhode Island. Larger striped bass are around the bay, Providence River, and Seekonk River, but the numbers seem to be lessening a bit. These fish are on the hunt for pogies, so fresh baits have been getting the job done, but the bait has been getting harder to find so anglers are turning to large plugs and soft plastics. Tautog fishing has been excellent for anglers throughout the state, with another week of multiple double-digit fish being reported. There are still a good deal of scup and sea bass in the mix as well, so there’s no shortage of full coolers. Another bonus this week was continued solid squid fishing, with good reports from the anglers who are targeting them in the Newport area. The Rhode Island DEM has continued fall trout stocking, and you can check their website for stocking updates. Dave is open by appointment only during the week but will be open on regular hours Friday through Sunday.  

Ralph, at Crafty One Customs reports that the local tautog fishing has been excellent throughout the aera, with most anglers reporting limit catches and double-digit fish showing up with regularity. Tautog is getting most of the attention, but there are still some nice bass and a few bluefish in the area as well. The squid have filled in as well, with targetable numbers and good reports from most of the anglers that have been targeting them. Ralph has switched over to his winter hours and will be open Wednesday through Friday 9-5 and Saturday 9-3. He will be closed Sunday through Tuesday.  

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Rhode Island.

Connor, at Tail Tailz Charters provided the following report for this week. It’s been all tog every day for us. Some days have been better than others but we’re getting relatively easy limits with some quality fish in the mix. The fish have transitioned a bit deeper, so rigs have been more prevalent, but the jigs are still getting it done in a lot of instances. White crabs and spider crabs have been producing for us, but the go to greens are still getting it done. All trips this week have seen fish around or just over the 12-pound mark and most trips are seeing at least a few double-digit fish! The temps are finally starting to drop and it’s beginning to feel like hardcore tog season. We should be in for a November to remember at this pace! 

Captain Rob, at Newport Sportfishing Charters has continued to target tautog and results have been excellent. They have been finding limits on all trips, with a good deal of double-digit fish to 12-plus-pounds in the mix. Both jigs and rigs are getting the job done, as the fish are spread out through multiple depth ranges. It will only get better from here, as the water cools down and the crowds thin out a bit. While Rob has been focused on tautog, he noted that there are still a few nice striped bass in the area feeding on peanut bunker, so it’s not a bad idea to have some light striper gear handy while you’re sitting on the tog anchor. 

Jay, at Pamela May Charters told me that tautog is in full swing, and he’s been doing well working some smaller humps away from the crowds. The weather has been up and down, but as long as you can hold on to some structure in the area, you should be able to find some nice tog. He told me that the topwater/light tackle action has remained strong thanks to all the peanut bunker that is still in the area, and there are reports of waves of school striped bass along the Narragansett shoreline.  

Dustin at, Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures shared the following report. The tautog bite has been red hot with relatively easy limits coming in on most days. Quality keepers are common and there are some monster fish in the mix as well. Black sea bass remains to be a pretty solid second option or bycatch while togging. There is some striper and bluefish activity throughout the state, with some epic blitzes still happening every now and then. With that being said, the striper and bluefish bite hasn’t been super reliable. As a way to mix it up towards the tail end of the fall run, the squid bite is really solid at the moment. The consistent temperature over the next week should stabilize the largemouth bite allowing freshwater anglers to figure out a consistent pattern. November trout stocking is already underway providing a very fun species to target on ultralight tackle. The are some dates on the calendar for November, so reach out to book your kayak or shore trip today.

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

It is starting to feel more winter-like, but we have plenty of solid fall fishing opportunities ahead of us. The main focus of Rhode Island anglers has been a strong tautog bite, that is providing easier limits, and more consistent big fish, as we move into November. The weather is starting to feel more like tautog weather as well, but the water temperatures are high enough that anyone who still has access to a boat should have weeks of solid togging ahead of them. Besides the tautog, the sea bass and some larger scup haven’t left the area just yet, so full coolers will be plentiful this week. The bluefish seem to have mostly moved out, but there’s no shortage of school striped bass working small bait along the South County shoreline. Some bigger bass can still be found up in the rivers if you can locate the pogies, although that has gotten a bit more difficult since the cold front came through. Freshwater anglers are finding a more consistent largemouth bite, with the water temperatures normalizing, while trout anglers are cashing in on the recent rounds of stocking.