ROVIDENCE – The Department of Environmental Management recently announced that the state’s Opening Day of trout season is back to its regular pre-COVID schedule, with over 100 freshwater locations stocked, including the children’s ponds, on Saturday.
THe DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) has stocked more than 60,000 hatchery-raised rainbow, brook, golden rainbow, and brown trout in waterways across the state. In addition, 4,000 sebago salmon will be stocked statewide.
The designated trout waters in northern Rhode Island are the Blackstone River; Cumberland’s Abbotts Run Brook and Silvy’s Pond; Lincoln’s Memorial Park Pond, Upper Rochambeau Pond, and Olney Pond; Pawtucket’s Slater Mill Pond, and North Providence’s Geneva Brook & Pond.
Also, Smithfield’s Mowry A.L. Pond; Chepachet River; Scituate’s Dexter Pond; Glocester’s Spring Cove Pond; Foster’s Dolly Cole Brook, Ponaganset River, Green Acres Pond, Shippee Saw Mill Pond, and Hopkins Mill Pond; Woonsocket’s Cass Pond, Sylvester’s Pond, and Harris River; and Burrillville’s Branch River, Tarkiln Pond, Wallum Lake, Round Top Ponds, Lapham Pond, Clear River, and Peck Pond.
“Opening Day is a special event and tradition for tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders who head out to a favorite fishing spot to reel in their first trout of the season,” said DEM acting director Terry Gray. “On Saturday, we hope that anglers of all ages enjoy the challenge and satisfaction of landing a fish we’ve raised and stocked for their benefit.”
Anglers who catch a golden rainbow trout from Opening Day to May 8 will be eligible to receive a golden trout pin. Simply take a picture and send it to dem.fishri@dem.ri.gov. The golden trout pin contest will be limited to the first three weeks after Opening Day. Anglers’ submissions need to be received no later than May 9 to be eligible for the pin.
A 2021 fishing license is required for anglers 15 years of age and older. A trout conservation stamp is also required of anyone wishing to keep or possess a trout or to fish in a catch-and-release or “fly-fishing only” area.
Visit www.dem.ri.gov/huntfish to purchase a fishing license, or the DEM’s website for an up-to-date list of trout stocking locations or for more information.
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