DEM Announces Free Fishing Days Saturday, Sunday

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM)’s annual Free Fishing Days are this Saturday and Sunday, allowing Rhode Islanders and visitors to the state to fish in fresh waters without a fishing license or trout conservation stamp.

The free fishing weekend does not apply to saltwater fishing or saltwater licenses.

On Wednesday, the DEM posted a video showing off a crop of rainbow trout they’ll use to stock state ponds in advance of the weekend in the following locations:

• Peck Pond, Burrillville

• Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown

• Upper Melville Pond, Portsmouth

• Shippee Sawmill Pond, Foster

• Barber Pond, South Kingstown

• Olney Pond, Lincoln Wood State Park, Lincoln

Lucky anglers who catch a golden trout during Free Fishing Weekend and throughout the season will receive a free golden trout pin. Take a picture of your catch and send it to Jessica Pena at [email protected].

Freshwater fishing regulations on size and creel/possession limits still apply on May 5 and May 6. The daily creel and possession limit for trout is five from April 14, 2018, through Nov. 30, 2018; and two from Dec. 1, 2018, to Feb. 28, 2019. The creel /possession limit for trout taken in the Wood River between RT. 165 and Barberville Dam at Arcadia Road is two fish from the second Saturday in May (May 12, 2018) through the last day of February (Feb. 28, 2019).

The free fishing program was started in 1995. The program is intended to encourage Rhode Islanders to experience freshwater fishing while highlighting some of the state’s premier freshwater fishing areas, according to the DEM release.