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Stafford Pond Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 11, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A Tiverton lake: Stafford Pond holds trout, smallmouth and perch in eastern Rhode Island.

5/5
Excellent. Go now.Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.
Water temp
~73 F est.
Air / High
63 / 77 F
Wind
NW 6 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
11
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.

5/5Excellent. Go now.Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.

Stafford Pond sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 6 mph, falling pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 77. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:32 PM-1:32 AM and 11:32 AM-1:32 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Rainbow troutExcellent

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Largemouth bassGood

Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

Tomorrow: Similar at 75 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 12, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Rhode Island requires a fishing licence from age 15, from $24.00 for residents. What a Rhode Island licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing smallmouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with RI DEM before you keep anything.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp63 F
High / Low77 / 61 F
WindNW 6-15 mph
Pressure1013.0 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain69% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:20 / 19:00
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 11 · Overcast, 77/61 F, wind 8 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 8 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

When to come: the Stafford Pond 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
Smallmouth bass
Largemouth bass
Northern pike
Rainbow trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 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 Stafford Pond today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 10

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 16 mph.

Wed, Sep 9

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 8

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 conservation stamp for trout. Water-supply restrictions apply on some activities: check current DEM and local rules.

Access

State boat ramp and shoreline access off Route 81 in Tiverton.

About this water

A 480-acre pond and public water supply in Tiverton, Newport County, Rhode Island.

Fishing Stafford Pond: the full guide

A clear pond near the bay

Stafford Pond covers about 480 acres in Tiverton, Rhode Island, a relatively clear and deep pond that serves as a public water supply for part of the town. It is stocked with trout and holds smallmouth and largemouth bass, yellow perch, chain pickerel, bluegill and catfish, making it one of the better mixed fisheries in the eastern part of the state.

Trout and smallmouth

Rhode Island stocks trout ahead of the spring opener and again in fall, and the depth holds them into early summer. Smallmouth work the rocky drop-offs, the points and the deeper structure, taken on tubes, drop-shots and small crankbaits: the clarity rewards lighter line and more natural presentations than a stained pond would.

Largemouth, pickerel and perch

Largemouth hold the weedier margins and shoreline cover, and chain pickerel ambush from the vegetation. Yellow perch and bluegill are abundant and provide steady action for anglers of any level. The pond produces a good ice fishery in winter for perch, pickerel and trout when conditions allow.

Newport County logistics

A state boat ramp serves the pond with shoreline access at the launch area, near Route 81 in Tiverton. Because it is a drinking-water supply, restrictions apply on some activities: check the current rules before launching or wading. Fall River and Newport are both within twenty minutes.

Common questions

Are trout stocked?

Yes, ahead of the spring opener and again in fall, and the depth holds them into early summer.

Are there restrictions?

Yes: it serves as a drinking-water supply, so some activities are limited. Check current rules first.

Is the smallmouth fishing good?

Yes: rocky drop-offs and points hold fish, and the clarity rewards lighter line and natural presentations.

Is fishing good at Stafford Pond right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.

Nearby waters

Sakonnet River7 miWickford Harbor15 miGreenwich Bay15 miBuzzards Bay16 miPawtuxet River16 miNarragansett20 mi
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