UTERSummer flounder fishing in Rhode Island and Cape Cod
In Rhode Island and Cape Cod, summer flounder peak July–September and are around June–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. July: Fluke on the sand edges off Block Island, Point Judith, and south of Martha's Vineyard; bucktail on the drift.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Summer flounder in Rhode Island and Cape Cod, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneArrivingCanal blitzes and big stripers on mackerel. Pencil poppers at dawn in the Cape Cod Canal; tube-and-worm in Cape Cod Bay; eels at night off Block Island; fluke start on the sand.
- JulyPeakFluke on the sand edges off Block Island, Point Judith, and south of Martha's Vineyard; bucktail on the drift.
- AugustPeakBonito and the first albies; canyon tuna. Small epoxy jigs for bonito and the first albies around Martha's Vineyard; overnight runs to the canyons for yellowfin and bigeye.
- SeptemberPeakLast good fluke week on the deeper humps off Rhode Island.
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish summer flounder near Point Judith, Newport, Block Island
Rhode Island's rocky south coast and salt ponds, Narragansett Bay, Block Island, Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands, Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds with their shoals and rips, the Cape Cod Canal, Cape Cod Bay's sand flats, and the Monomoy rips and outer Cape beaches; offshore Coxes Ledge and the southern New England canyons (Block, Atlantis, Veatch).
Fish Scouter charts 350 wreck, 4 artificial reef spots in the Southern New England map area — the kinds summer flounder hold on.
What to use for summer flounder
- Mud minnows (killifish)Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait.
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- Menhaden (pogies)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Leader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–4/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 56–80°F water, best at 62–74°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch summer flounder in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Peak season is July–September. Summer flounder are in Rhode Island and Cape Cod June–October. July: Fluke on the sand edges off Block Island, Point Judith, and south of Martha's Vineyard; bucktail on the drift.
Where do summer flounder hold in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Look on channel edge, pass / inlet, beach / surf, artificial reef, wreck, bridge, fishing pier, grass flat — around Point Judith, Newport, Block Island, Westport, Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard.
What is the best bait for summer flounder in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Live bait: mud minnows (killifish), squid, menhaden (pogies), sand eels. Mud minnows (killifish): Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait. Tackle: leader 20–40 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–4/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
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