Rhode Island Fishing Report- August 17, 2023

Rhode Island Fishing Report

The Frances Fleet in Point Judith reported some of the best fluke fishing of the season this week. Captain Cole has been at the helm on the full day trips, and working the fluke grounds hard, and he has been rewarded with near full boat limits. The half-day trips have bounced back nicely as well, with a nice mix of sea bass and fluke. Check out francesfleet.com for an updated schedule and to make reservations.  

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reports that the nearshore tuna fishing remains strong for both recreational and charter anglers. There has been a nice mix of small, medium, and giant class bluefin taking jigs, trolling lures and topwater offerings. There has also been a nice mix of yellowfin and mahi in the mix.  Striped bass anglers are still finding some big bass out in front of the bay and along the south shore, but the best big bass bite is still out at the island. The local striped bass seem to be moving into the bay and rivers once again, and anglers are reporting a good bite on the incoming tide after sunset. Bottom fishermen are reporting a better tautog bite from shore, as they move into the shallows. There are still plenty of scup throughout the Bay and in the Providence River, fluke fishing has improved all the way up to Warwick Neck, and sea bassing remains solid on the deeper reefs. Blue crabs and skipjacks are abundant in the estuaries and coves, while freshwater anglers are reporting improved largemouth action on shiners in the local lakes and ponds.  

Ian, at Ranger Charters was finally able to put a good amount of time into the offshore game and told me that the bite is red hot! They’ve found a great jig bite, with medium class bluefins and enough yellowfin to keep things interesting. All their clients are going home with plenty of meat while also enjoying catch and release tuna fishing all day.  

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

Ralph, at Crafty One Customs reports that there has been a good early morning bass bite taking place on the reefs over the last week or so. The bite is generally better in the early mornings, and doesn’t always last long, but there are some quality fish being caught. There are plenty of big bluefish in the bay and hanging around the bass. Fluke fishing has improved quite a bit this week, with multiple 10-pound-class fish being reported locally. There are still plenty of sea bass on the deeper structure and tautog fishing is slowly but surely improving. The offshore fishing continues to produce solid tuna numbers, but a lot of the well-known spots are getting tough due to all the fishing pressure.  

Connor, at Tail Tailz Charters reports that the fishing has remained killer this week, with a nice mix of offshore and inshore trips. The striped bass bite remains strong, as the “summer doldrums” never really materialized this year. They saw a ton of quality fish to 50 inches this week, as the new moon approached. He has had success vertical jigging the drop offs for sea bass, to help fill the box on their inshore trips. The offshore trips have been insane. Each trip has resulted in a full box of bluefin and yellowfin, with most coming on the jig. Topwater offerings and trolling the squid bars has also produced at first light. They are also seeing a ton of big buffalo albies offshore, so it shouldn’t be long for the inshore bite to bust wide open yet. That said, it isn’t fall yet, so take advantage of the summer bite while it’s still hot. 

Jay, at Pamela May Charters told me that fishing has been great, both inshore and off. They are still catching loads of 30- to 35-inch stripers on topwater offerings in the Newport area. The striper bite is also still going strong off Block Island, if a shark doesn’t get to the stripers before you do. Jay hasn’t been back offshore this week but reports of tuna on jigs are still coming in consistently. One of the bigger stories of the week was the arrival of bonito around Block Island and scattered around the south shore. There is plenty of small bait in the area, so we should be seeing more arrivals soon.  

Dustin at, Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures reports that the summer bite has remained steady as we work through August. Striped bass fishing is solid, however on most days getting to the water at first light or for last light has been the ticket for bigger fish. Big bluefish are still around, and, on most days, they aren’t too shy to bite! Now is a prime time to target late-summer fluke, as the fishing has improved once again this week. Black sea bass is the same ole story, having the patience to pick through the shorts will eventually yield some keepers on most days. A few reports of scattered bonito have come in this week and consistent hardtail action is right around the corner. What is arguably the best time of year to fish will be here before you know it, so be sure to head over to rikfa.com to book your trip before it’s too late.  

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

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

Rhode Island anglers have plenty of options, whether it’s staying close to home, heading out to Block Island for monster bass, or going just beyond the island for some great summer tuna fishing. The biggest draw remains the tuna bite south of the island, on the days that the weather cooperates. The big striped bass bite around Block Island remains steady, and those fish don’t seem to care what time of day it is. Closer to home, the striped bass are generally on the deeper structure, but they’re starting to move back toward the Bay during the early morning hours. A few more scant reports of false albacore and bonito are starting to trickle in, with the latter becoming a bit more common. Fluke reports improved once again, and we seem to have some of the best fishing of the year for local anglers. The sea bass season has been strong since the opener and is seemingly improving throughout the state on a daily basis. Scup has been rounding out the catch nicely, with plenty of keepers for shore and boat anglers. Summer tautog fishing has opened up as well and is starting to produce a bit better for shorebound anglers. Freshwater anglers have no shortage of opportunities, with strong reports for post-spawn largemouth, crappie, pike, carp, and trout.