Block Island & the Rhode Island Coast Fishing Guide

Block Island is known for big striped bass around the North Reef and Southwest Ledge, plus bluefish, fluke, black sea bass and scup. From Point Judith and Narragansett, anglers fish the rips, reefs and boulder fields along the South County shore and the mouth of Narragansett Bay. Offshore boats chase bluefin tuna in summer and yellowfin and bigeye in the canyons.

📍 Block Island sits about 12 miles south of Point Judith, Rhode Island. Ferries run from Point Judith (Galilee), Newport and Fall River. Mainland boats fish from Point Judith, Narragansett and Newport, and offshore boats run south to the tuna grounds and the canyons.

📅 Rhode Island Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Rhode Island & Massachusetts map →

Quick facts

Block Island covers about 10 square miles and lies about 12 miles south of Point Judith and about 14 miles from Montauk, NY.
Only the Point Judith ferry carries cars; Newport and Fall River boats take passengers only.
Striped bass fishing is banned in federal waters (over 3 miles out). In the Block Island transit zone you may carry legal bass through federal water only if you do not fish and keep moving.
The Block Island Wind Farm, five turbines off the southeast side of the island, was finished in 2016.
Block and Atlantis canyons, more than 1,600 feet deep, are about 95 miles offshore.

What you can catch

Striped bass
Main target; trophy fish come from Block Island ledges and South County reefs. Keep only 28 to under 31 inches, and only in state waters.
Bluefish
Big bluefish show at North Reef in July and mix in with bass; topwater plugs work.
Bluefin tuna
Pass the island in early summer; nearest grounds are about 20 miles off. Federal HMS permit needed.
Fluke (summer flounder)
Keepers often easier to find around Block Island; 19-inch minimum in 2026.
Black sea bass
Rocky bottom and deeper structure; Point Judith party boats target them.
Scup
Caught from shore and boat; season opens May 1.
Tautog
Spring and fall on rock piles and shallow structure, using crabs and jigs.
False albacore and bonito
Late summer into October along Newport and South County; use small lures.

Month by month

January	Quiet. Tautog, scup and sea bass seasons closed. Right whale slow zone in Block Island Sound (boats 65 ft+, 10 knots) through Apr 30.
February	Quiet. Most bottom-fish seasons closed.
March	Winter flounder opens Mar 1 (2 fish, 12 in.; closed in upper Narragansett Bay, Point Judith Pond and Potter Pond).
April	Tautog opens Apr 1 (3 fish). Fluke opens Apr 1. Migrating bass fill Narragansett Bay late in the month.
May	Scup opens May 1; black sea bass May 16. Bass spread to the South Shore as water warms; squid move inshore.
June	Tautog closed Jun 1 - Jul 31. Bluefin tuna pass Block Island in early summer; federal angling limits start Jun 1.
July	Big bass settle in at Block Island; large bluefish at North Reef. Fluke and sea bass good around the island.
August	Tautog reopens Aug 1 (3 fish). Summer bass, fluke and sea bass; tuna to the south.
September	Charter sea bass limit rises to 6 from Sep 1. False albacore and bonito arrive along the shore.
October	Tautog 5 fish from Oct 15. Bass blitzes along South County and Newport; albies and bonito; Block Island fishing can last into October.
November	Tautog and sea bass continue. Right whale slow zone in Block Island Sound starts Nov 1.
December	Tautog, scup and sea bass seasons end Dec 31.

Tips

Buy a Rhode Island saltwater license ($7 resident, $10 non-resident, $5 for 7 days) unless you are under 16, on a party or charter boat, or hold a NY, CT, MA or ME license.
Do not fish for or keep striped bass more than 3 miles from shore; in the transit zone between Block Island, Point Judith and Montauk, keep legal fish only while running straight through without fishing.
Southwest Ledge has strong current, rough seas and boulder bottom; it is no place for a small boat.
Over ledges and boulder fields, hold the boat right over the structure so your line runs straight down and fish stay out of the rocks.
Live mackerel, live eels and tube-and-worm rigs are proven bass baits here; low light and night are best.

Rules and license

Rhode Island DEM Division of Marine Fisheries; ASMFC; NOAA Fisheries (federal waters and HMS) · Official rules page ↗

RI recreational saltwater license, federal registration, or a NY/CT/MA/ME license required; under 16 and party/charter passengers exempt; free for RI residents over 65.
Striped bass 2026: 1 fish per day, 28 to under 31 inches, open all year. No striped bass fishing or keeping in federal waters (except transit rule).
Bluefish 2026: 5 per day (7 on party/charter boats), no size limit.
Black sea bass 2026: 16 in., May 16 - Dec 31, 3 per day shore/private. Scup: 11 in. boat / 9.5 in. shore, May 1 - Dec 31, 30 per day.
Fluke 2026: 19 in., Apr 1 - Dec 31, 6 per day (2 fish at 17 in. allowed at listed shore sites).
Tautog 2026: 16 in., 1 over 21 in.; 3 fish Apr 1 - May 31, closed Jun 1 - Jul 31, 3 fish Aug 1 - Oct 14, 5 fish Oct 15 - Dec 31; 10 per private boat.
Bluefin tuna (federal, Jun 1 - Dec 31, 2026): HMS Angling permit; private boats 2 fish 27 to under 73 inches per day, charter 3, headboat 6; only 1 may be 47 to under 73 inches. Report each fish within 24 hours. Trophy (73 in.+) areas closed for rest of 2026.
Right whale slow zone (Block Island Sound, boats 65 ft+, 10 knots) Nov 1 - Apr 30. Stay 500 yards from North Atlantic right whales (federal law); NOAA asks 100 yards for other whales and 50 yards for seals.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 15 boat ramps and 8 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Avondale Boat Yard
Barn Island Boat Ramp
Boat ramp near Billington Cove
Boat ramp near Bluff Hill Cove
Boat ramp near Galilee Salt Pond Harbor
Boat ramp near Sycamore Cove
Frank Hall Boat Yard
Grays Boat Yard
Long Cove Marina
Lotteryville Marina
Safe Harbor Silver Spring
Weekapaug Yacht Club
Westerly Yacht Club

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.