DEM
Stocks Local Waters With Trout For Columbus Day Weekend
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is
stocking ponds across Rhode Island with some 10,000 trout in advance of
Columbus Day weekend – a popular time for recreational fishing.
The number of
waterbodies stocked will be limited given current drought conditions; if
conditions improve, additional stocking will take place this fall.
- Barber Pond, South Kingstown;
- Silver Spring Pond, North Kingstown;
- Meadowbrook Pond, Cronan Landing, Lower Shannock Fishing Area, and Beaver River (Rt. 138), Richmond;
- Wood River, Dow Field, Mechanic Street, Barberville, Wyoming Pond, and the Pawcatuck River, Hopkinton;
- Potter Hill Landing, Westerly;
- Carbuncle Pond, Coventry;
- Olney Pond, Lincoln;
- Round Top Ponds, Burrillville;
- Ponagansett Fishing Area, Foster;
- Wallum Lake, Burrillville
For timely stocking information, follow DEM's outdoor education
page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/rioutdooreducation.
As part of a new initiative aimed at making larger,
trophy-sized, hatchery-raised brown trout available to anglers, 400 brood stock
brown trout with an average weight of 4 to 6 pounds will be stocked at
Carbuncle Pond in Coventry beginning this fall.
Anglers are encouraged to share
photos of their catch on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rioutdooreducation.
As part of a larger network of recreational opportunities in the
state, fishing plays an important role in connecting people with nature,
promoting health, attracting tourism, and supporting a treasured tradition for
Rhode Island families.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, there
are approximately 175,000 recreational anglers (age 16+) in Rhode Island. And
recreational fishing contributes more than $130 million to the economy each
year.
A current fishing license and a Trout Conservation Stamp are
required to keep or possess a trout or to fish in a catch-and-release or
fly-fishing only area. A trout stamp is not required for persons possessing
trout taken from a lake or pond that shares a border with Rhode Island.
The daily creel and possession limit for trout is five from
April 9, 2017 through November 30, 2017; and two from December 1, 2017 through
February 28, 2018; except in the Wood River between Route 165 and Barberville
Dam at Arcadia Road where the daily creel limit is two trout from May 13, 2017
through February 28, 2018.
State law requires that boaters always have personal flotation
devices for each person, and that they do not drink and operate a boat. Boaters
should also be sure their craft is seaworthy before going out on the state's
waterways.
The use of external felt soled or any natural or synthetic
porous material capable of absorbing water in any freshwaters in Rhode Island
is strictly prohibited. This includes any waters shared with adjacent states in
which Rhode Island fishing regulations apply. For more information or to
purchase a license, visit www.dem.ri.gov.
At this time of the year, cyanobacteria or blue-green algae may
be present in local lakes and ponds. People should avoid contact with these
ponds. There is an advisory at St. Mary's Pond in Middletown, Melville Ponds in
Portsmouth, Stafford Pond in Tiverton, Pleasure Lake in Roger Williams Park in
Providence, and J.L.Curran Reservoir in Cranston.
For a list of designated trout waters and information of
interest to anglers visit www.dem.ri.gov.
Follow DEM on Twitter
(@RhodeIslandDEM) or Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM for timely
updates.
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