Fishing Spots - Select by City

The Best Fishing Spots in Rhode Island

In the United States, Rhode Island offers excellent recreational fishing from shore, piers and boats in coastal waters like Narragansett Bay and around Block Island. Anglers commonly target key species such as striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass, tautog and scup in saltwater, with seasonal trips for cod and tuna offshore. Inland ponds and rivers also produce largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout and various panfish, making Rhode Island a versatile destination for shore, boat and fly anglers.

Top Cities For Fishing

Sea Fishing

Barrington (1 km to coast)

Bristol (2 km to coast)

Central Falls (11 km to coast)

Charlestown (4 km to coast)

Cranston (5 km to coast)

East Greenwich (3 km to coast)

East Providence (2 km to coast)

Exeter (11 km to coast)

Greenville (20 km to coast)

Hopkinton (19 km to coast)

Jamestown (0 km to coast)

Johnston (13 km to coast)

Kingston (11 km to coast)

Lincoln (16 km to coast)

Middletown (2 km to coast)

Narragansett (2 km to coast)

Narragansett Pier (1 km to coast)

Newport (0 km to coast)

Newport East (4 km to coast)

North Kingstown (4 km to coast)

North Providence (10 km to coast)

Pawtucket (9 km to coast)

Portsmouth (2 km to coast)

Providence (3 km to coast)

South Kingstown (9 km to coast)

Tiverton (0 km to coast)

Valley Falls (13 km to coast)

Wakefield-Peacedale (7 km to coast)

Warren (1 km to coast)

Warwick (1 km to coast)

Westerly (8 km to coast)

West Warwick (9 km to coast)

Top Saltwater Fishing Spots

Mount Hope Bay

Feeding the head of Narragansett Bay, this bay features current-swept channels and bridges that hold spring schoolie-to-slot striped bass, summer scup and black sea bass, and periodic bluefish blitzes; boaters drift structure while shore casters work access near Bristol and Fall River.

Beavertail Point

At the southern tip of Jamestown, rocky Beavertail’s currents and ledges produce powerful surf bites for striped bass and bluefish, with spring and fall peaks and occasional false albacore; anglers target whitewater pockets and points with eels, swimmers, and tins during moving tides.

Block Island

Surrounded by rich rips and boulder fields, Block Island is famed for trophy striped bass, blitzing bluefish, late-summer false albacore and bonito, plus solid inshore fluke and black sea bass; boats drift the Southwest Ledge and island rips while shore anglers pick nights around rocky points and beaches near Southwest Point and Cow Cove.

Conimicut Point

This sand spit at the mouth of the Pawtuxet River creates strong tidal seams that concentrate bait and attract striped bass and bluefish, with scup on adjacent flats; surf anglers cast metals and swimmers along rips and bars, especially around tide changes and low-light windows.

Great Salt Pond

Inside Block Island, this sheltered pond and inlet channel hold summer fluke, scup, and black sea bass, with night tides drawing striped bass at the breachway and flats; small boats and kayaks drift channels as shore anglers fish current lines and dock edges.

Greenwich Bay

An arm of Narragansett Bay, Greenwich Bay offers accessible shorelines and protected waters for spring and fall striped bass, summer scup and black sea bass, and occasional fluke; boats work flats and channel edges while shore anglers target piers and park access at dawn and dusk.

Narragansett Bay

Rhode Island’s centerpiece estuary offers year-round action for striped bass, bluefish, black sea bass, scup, and seasonal fluke, with spring and fall runs drawing anglers to bridges, shorelines, and rips from Newport to Warwick; boaters work channel edges, reef lines, and bait-rich flats, while shore casters score around piers, parks, and causeways during dawn and dusk tides.

Newport Harbor

A scenic harbor with productive docks, bridges, and channel edges for striped bass, scup, and black sea bass, plus nearby reefs for fluke; boaters troll or live-bait around structure while shore casters work evenings from accessible piers and walkways near Goat Island.

Ninigret Pond

A classic coastal salt pond connected by a breachway to the ocean, Ninigret produces summer fluke, scup, and black sea bass, with dusk and night tides drawing striped bass to the channel; kayaks excel in the flats as shore anglers work the rocks and outflow near Charlestown.

Pettaquamscutt River

Also known as the Narrow River, this tidal river offers quiet-water action for schoolie-to-slot striped bass, plus seasonal scup; kayaks and small boats drift bends and marsh edges, while shore anglers fish bridges and public pull-offs during moving water.

Point Judith

Jutting into the Atlantic at the mouth of Narragansett Bay, Point Judith draws migrating striped bass and bluefish, with spring tautog along rocks and fall shots at false albacore; boats work nearby shoals and reefs while jetty and surf anglers fish eels, bucktails, and metals around tide swings.

Point Judith Harbor of Refuge

The breakwaters and inside channels of this protected harbor hold striped bass, scup, tautog, and summer fluke, with bait schools drawing predators along the granite; kayaks and boats drift the openings and edges while shore anglers jig the walls and cast into current seams near Galilee.

Point Judith Pond

Sheltered backwaters and a direct connection to Point Judith make this salt pond a reliable bet for striped bass, scup, and summer fluke; boats and kayaks work channels and flats, and shore anglers target the breachway and park access during tide swings.

Quonochontaug Pond

This clear salt pond and breachway system holds striped bass, scup, and early-fall false albacore near the outflow, with fluke on sandy edges; small boats and kayaks drift the channel while jetty anglers fish bucktails and tins into the tide near Quonochontaug.

Sakonnet River

The tidal Sakonnet estuary fishes like an inshore highway for migrating striped bass and bluefish, with structure-oriented tautog and scup on rocky edges and late-spring fluke in sandy stretches; boaters work drop-offs from Tiverton to Little Compton, while shore anglers hit points and bridges.

Scarborough State Beach

A popular surf-casting beach near Narragansett with seasonal runs of striped bass and bluefish, plus nearby troughs that hold fluke on calm days; anglers cover water with tins, plugs, and bucktails at dawn, dusk, and during onshore breezes that push bait close.

Watch Hill Point

This southwestern RI point funnels bait along bars and rocks, creating classic surfcasting for night-time striped bass and daytime runs of bluefish and late-summer albies; boats drift rips off the lighthouse while shore anglers stalk tides along the point and adjacent beaches in Watch Hill.

Top Freshwater Fishing Spots

Flat River Reservoir

Also known as Johnson’s Pond in Coventry, this sprawling reservoir features coves, weedlines, and mid-depth structure that hold largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, and yellow perch; boats and kayaks work shoreline cover while shore anglers find action at public access points.

Worden Pond

Rhode Island’s largest natural lake offers classic warmwater fishing for largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, and sunfish, with weedy coves and drop-offs near South Kingstown; small boats, kayaks, and shoreline spots produce from spring through fall with topwater dawn bites in summer.

Top Saltwater & Freshwater Spots

Seekonk River

This urban tidal river along Providence hosts spring and fall striped bass pushes with summertime scup, while upper reaches can yield white perch; boats and kayaks probe bridge abutments and channel edges as shore anglers fish parks and walkways during moving tides.