UTERAtlantic cod fishing in Rhode Island and Cape Cod
In Rhode Island and Cape Cod, Atlantic cod peak December–March and are around November–April, spawning in December–February, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Cod spawn on Coxes Ledge in winter; seasonal closures there — check NOAA and RIDEM before you drop.
Not in Rhode Island and Cape Cod this month.
Atlantic cod in Rhode Island and Cape Cod, month by month
- JanuarySpawningCod spawn on Coxes Ledge in winter; seasonal closures there — check NOAA and RIDEM before you drop.
- FebruarySpawning
- MarchPeak
- AprilLeaving
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyNot here
- AugustNot here
- SeptemberNot here
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberArrivingWinter cod start on the Rhode Island ledges and Nantucket Shoals.
- DecemberSpawningTog goes deep; cod on the ledges. Last big tog on the offshore rocks; cod on the ledges — mind the spawning closures.
Where to fish Atlantic cod 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 Atlantic cod hold on.
What to use for Atlantic cod
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Leader80–150 lb mono
- Hook8/0–14/0
- Braid65–100 lb
Feeds in 36–58°F water, best at 40–52°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Atlantic cod in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Peak season is December–March, with fish spawning in December–February (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Atlantic cod are in Rhode Island and Cape Cod November–April. January: Cod spawn on Coxes Ledge in winter; seasonal closures there — check NOAA and RIDEM before you drop.
Where do Atlantic cod hold in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Look on artificial reef, wreck, ledge / hard bottom — around Point Judith, Newport, Block Island, Westport, Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard.
What is the best bait for Atlantic cod in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Live bait: squid, herring, sand eels. Squid: Strips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig. Tackle: leader 80–150 lb mono, hook 8/0–14/0, braid 65–100 lb.
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