Carp Fishing in Rhode Island

Rhode Island is one of the six states in the northeastern United States. It is the smallest state of the USA, with an area of 1214 square miles. But has a dense population. The Island shares a state water border with New York, and its economy had a colonial base in fishing. Most of it is located on the mainland, and its land border is adjacent to Connecticut and Massachusetts. Though it is the smallest state, there is no dearth of fishing spots in Rhode Island. For those of you searching for the sites for ri carp fishing, the good news is that we will discuss multiple bodies of water located in Rhode Island. You can visit any of these spots to fish the carp. Also, we will discuss the best time and season to catch carp fishes and talk about the tools you will need for carp fishing. Let’s start with the water body.

ri carp fishing

The Blackstone River

This river located in Rhode Island was once declared the most polluted by EPA, but now the scenario has changed. This 80 km long river begins from Mill Brook and drains a watershed. It is now a clean habitat for a varied fish species. From Trout, Bass, Perch to different carp fishes like Common, Mirror, and Leather, the Blackstone River has them all and in a great quantity. If there is a place that you need to choose in Rhode Island for carp fishing, this is the one. But the issue is only certain spots of it are allowed for angling. And if you could get to those spots, then be sure to get the biggest of common carps here. The carp fishes you could get here are not at all, only small in size. They could be large too, and you can get plenty of them in a short span. From 10 pounds to catching a pretty big 21 pounds of carp fish, even 30-40 pounds of common carp, the Blackstone river is the perfect spot for catching multiple carp fishes in a single day.

The Clear River

The Clear River is a small river with five dams along its length. It rises from Burrillville, a town in Rhode Island. The Wallum lake adjacent to Douglas State Forest and Wallum Lake Park is the exact spot that the Clear River rises from. The lake is in Burrillville, thus the mention of this town. The river is just 20 km long hence not very big to have too many freshwater fishes in it. Yet you can catch trout’s, Bass, Perch, and most importantly, common carp in it.

The Big River

The Big River is even smaller than the Clear River, just 9 km long, and doesn’t have any dam as well. Though it flows just 9km, it is an excellent habitat for carp fishes. Common carps are the most common here. Most of the lakes, rivers, and ponds in Rhode Island have only common carps except the Blackstone river. It is not like the other carp types will be impossible to get here, but if you get one, feel lucky as that is a rare phenomenon.

The Canada Pond

We have another spot for catching carp fishes in a pond at Rhode Island. We have chosen a pond, and the pond we are talking about is called the Canada Pond. It is a mile-long pond with a dam along the pond’s length and three inches shoreline. This one also has common carps in it, and the Eal, Bass, Perch, and catfish very well coexist with these bottom feeders.

The Cunliffe Lake

Cunliffe Lake is a lake in Rhode Island just a mile from Cranston city. It is also known as Cunliffe pond and not a very clean body of water. Muddy, unclean water was never an issue for carp fishes to survive. So if you are anywhere in Cranston, have a stroll with all your fishing essentials and try angling some common carps in the Cunliffe lake. It is a lake for big fishes, for instance, Bullhead catfishes and Largemouth Bass. But you can have a gala time trying to angle the very challenging gamefish here. We are hinting towards the common carps up to 12 pounds.

Best Time to Catch Carp Fishes in Rhode Island (RI)

The rule to catch carp fishes is the same everywhere. The location will not change the nature or habit of a carp fish. So the timing will be the same. Carp fishes are best angled in low light. Either before the sunrise or after the sunset. This gamefish is well known to come out and feed itself, roaming around the water body in low light. However, in the Blackstone River, you can catch quite a few carp fishes in broad daylight. The best period will be afternoon when the sun is not spreading too much heat, but the temperature and water are still warm.

Best Season to Catch Carp Fishes in Rhode Island (RI)

The worst season to catch carp fishes very much divulges the best season. And winter is the worst season. The cold water is the worst for carp fishes; that is why they end up lying lazily at the bottom and hardly come out of their resting spot. Throughout the late fall and Summer, carp fishes freely roam around the water body. Right before late fall is when they end their spawning period. So, they are ready to come out in the middle or upper portion of the lake, pond, and river to either wander or feed themselves. Also, the air pressure is the perfect kind of low during late fall and Summer. That ends up in the apt kind of warm temperature for carp fishing. Thus, late fall to the entire Summer season is the best for carp fishing in Rhode Island.

Carp Fishing Essentials

You will need a 12-13 feet long fishing rod, a spinning reel loaded with up to 12 pounds fishing line, a large fishing net, 45-50 inch, and, if possible, a bite indicator and landing mat. The best bait for carp fishing will be live baits, but canned sweet corn or boilies also work pretty fine.

Successful carp fishing depends on several factors, and choosing the right area is the topmost factor. It’s a surprise that a small place like Rhode Island has so many locations for carp fishing. So, if you were obsessively searching for the correct spots for carp fishing in Rhode Island now, you know where to find them and when to try carp fishing there.

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