Rhode Island Fishing Report – March 3, 2016

Anglers are dusting off their boats early this season, as open-water options are as plentiful as they’ve ever been for the first of March. Good catches of bass, trout and pike are coming in from both states, while holdover striped bass fishing is set to take off once again.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported that the weather was once again less than cooperative for most of this week. Sunday and Monday were just calm enough to sail, but water conditions still proved a bit treacherous. The crew was able to put customers on some fish, but the bite window was small and the so were most of the fish. A few days of calm weather and warm temperatures should work wonders on the cod fishery, and it looks like we may be getting just that at the end of the weekend and early portion of next week. The next few days may be tricky, with more wind and some colder weather forecasted, but relief is in sight as winds will settle and temperatures will reach nearly 70 next week! Check with the office, but weather permitting the fleet will sail each possible day at 5 AM.

Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Narragansett, also reiterated that the water is quite dirty out on the cod grounds, and actually took last weekend off to ease the pressure on the fishery and allow conditions to settle. By the later part of the weekend things should be settling down nicely, and some above average temperatures should have the fish biting nicely by next week. Weather permitting, the Seven B’s will sail at 5 AM Friday through Sunday.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, contacted me this week with a report as he has now expanded the shop’s hours to the springtime schedule. He will be open from 6-9 AM Monday through Thursday, 3-6 PM on Fridays and 6 AM – 2 PM on the weekends. Dave reported that a lot of Rhode Island anglers have taken to the freshwater for the fishing fix, as all of the state’s lake and ponds are now free of ice. Trout fishing has been good at a number of the smaller trout ponds, with some good reported catches coming from Slater Park Pond in Pawtucket. Check local regulations, as most of these small trout ponds close on March 1st and reopen on April 9th. In the meantime, anglers should look to some of the year round TMA’s for trout action up to opening day. White perch fishing is also starting to get underway in the area, as these are a favorite species of many local anglers. Not only do white perch provide some great action on ultralight set ups, they also make great table fare. Dave mentioned that the causeway of Turner Reservoir is a great spot to start looking for white perch early in the season. Schoolie striped bass fishing has been quiet most of the winter but reports are just starting to surface from local anglers. Temperatures are forecasted to climb close to 70 degrees next week, which should have a positive impact on the holdover bass fishery.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reported that angler activity is starting to pick up throughout Connecticut. The rivers are starting to settle after last week’s heavy rain, and April-like temperatures are kicking the spring fishing into gear earlier. Holdover bass anglers are still spending a lot of time in the Housatonic, with mixed results and mixed sizes. Action has been inconsistent, but when fish are located, there tends to be a few good fish in the mix. The un-seasonably warm temperatures next week should be enough to really kick start this fishery once again. The Connecticut River is getting close to fishable levels once again, and the lack of snowmelt should really limit flooding this year. We’ll have to wait and see what that does to the river striped bass fishery, but it will certainly help anglers who are trying to target pre-spawn pike. The Haddam area is starting to heat up and the next few weeks will be a great time to target pike with bright colored spinnerbaits, crankbaits and large live/dead baits. The state’s year round trout fisheries are also getting a lot of attention these days, and catches have been good in the Farmington and Salmon rivers.

Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that the western part of the state has been a bit quiet, but anglers are once again taking to the Housatonic in large numbers to target holdover striped bass. Reports have been on the slow side, with the water being cool and dirty, but things will no doubt start to pick up as the temps climb next week. Open water opportunities are also plentiful at Candlewood Lake, which is open through March and offers some great early season smallmouth and trout fishing.

At Connecticut Outfitters in Wethersfield, Gary reports that anglers have dusted off their boats and are starting to take advantage of the early season open water. Crystal Lake is fishing great for trout, with many anglers reporting multiple fish outings. Reports out of Highland Lake have also been good for both largemouth bass and trout, while Lake Lillinonah is offering some good largemouth and northern pike catches. Be sure to consult the anglers guide before heading out, as many lakes and ponds are open through March but creel limits change.

Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reported that the early spring has kept things going strong on the Farmington. There have been some nice catches of wild and holdover fish through the permanent catch and release area; while fresh stocking has just taken place above that area. The clarity is once again very good through that catch and release area, and the river is down to a nice and fishable 490 cfs. Targeting larger, holdover fish has kept the interest of most, but if things are going slow you can move upriver and pick away at freshly stocked fish. Torrey also noted that he is expanding his hours on March 7th. The shop will now be open until 6 PM on weekdays, and 5 PM on weekends.

Best Bets For The Weekend

The upside of the poor winter conditions we experienced this year is an early shot at spring open water fishing. Mother Nature is set to remind us that winter is not quite over, with temperatures set to drop over the next few days, but that will be short-lived as we may see the mercury hit 70 next week! Open water options are plentiful as many lakes and ponds are still open and are producing good catches of bass, pike and trout. Trout management areas across both states are at April-like levels, and anglers could get a nice jump on the opening day crowds over the next few weeks.