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Pawcatuck River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Rhode Island’s border river: the Pawcatuck runs trout, bass and a returning herring run to the sea.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
480 cfs
Air / High
83 / 84 F
Wind
NW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01118500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Pawcatuck River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 480 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind NW around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1008 hPa and a high of 84. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 78 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Pawcatuck River at Westerly.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01118500.

4097841,158480 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp83 F
High / Low84 / 68 F
WindNW 9-14 mph
Pressure1008.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain8% cloud, 52%
Sunrise / Sunset06:16 / 19:15
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 84/68 F, wind 13 mph, rain 52%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Pawcatuck River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Pawcatuck River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Pawcatuck River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 80 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 73 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Rhode Island requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Rhode Island license plus trout stamp for trout; Connecticut rules apply on parts of the border reach. Striped bass rules per current DEM regulations.

Access

Road crossings, state management areas and Westerly-area access for the tidal river; canoe floats for the middle reaches.

About this water

A 34-mile river from Worden Pond to Little Narragansett Bay at Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island.

Fishing Pawcatuck River: the full guide

A river to the sea

The Pawcatuck River flows about 34 miles from Worden Pond through southern Rhode Island to Little Narragansett Bay at Westerly, forming part of the Connecticut border. It holds stocked and wild trout in the upper reaches, largemouth and smallmouth bass through the middle river, and in the tidal lower reaches, striped bass and a river herring run restored by dam removals.

Trout and bass

The upper river and its tributaries, including the Wood River, hold trout stocked by the state and wild fish in the colder feeders: spring and fall are the seasons. The middle river warms and holds bass, pickerel and panfish in slower, weedier water, fished well from canoe or kayak given the limited bank access.

Herring and stripers

Dam removals over the past two decades reopened the river to river herring, whose runs have rebounded substantially: a conservation success that also brings predators. Striped bass follow bait into the tidal lower river in spring and fall, fished around Westerly and the bay, giving anglers salt and fresh options in one river.

Washington County logistics

Access is via road crossings, state management areas and the Westerly area for the tidal water, with canoe and kayak floats the best way to fish the middle river. Westerly, Hopkinton and Charlestown provide services. Flows respond to rain but the river runs steadily given its pond and swamp headwaters.

Common questions

What did the dam removals do?

Reopened the river to river herring, whose runs rebounded substantially: a genuine conservation success.

Can I catch trout and stripers?

In the same river, yes: trout in the upper reaches, striped bass in the tidal water near Westerly.

How do I fish the middle river?

By canoe or kayak: bank access is limited and the slower water suits paddling.

Is fishing good at Pawcatuck River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Watchaug Pond5 miNinigret Pond7 miWood River9 miWorden Pond12 miPoint Judith16 miNarragansett18 mi
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