UTERWinter flounder fishing in Rhode Island and Cape Cod
In Rhode Island and Cape Cod, winter flounder peak April–June and are around March–July and November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Flounder in the salt ponds and harbors — chum and sandworms; Rhode Island and Massachusetts set their own seasons.
Not in Rhode Island and Cape Cod this month.
Winter flounder in Rhode Island and Cape Cod, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchArriving
- AprilPeakFlounder in the salt ponds and harbors — chum and sandworms; Rhode Island and Massachusetts set their own seasons.
- MayPeakThe striper run fills in; scup and sea bass arrive. Herring runs and the Canal for stripers; mackerel on sabikis for live bait; spawning sea bass on the shallow rocks; scup fill the piers.
- JunePeak
- JulyAround
- AugustNot here
- SeptemberNot here
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberAround
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish winter 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).
What to use for winter flounder
- BloodwormsA piece threaded on a #2 to 2/0 hook on a hi-lo or fish-finder rig — the striper, spot, croaker and white perch bait of the Chesapeake and the surf.
- Leader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–4/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 38–64°F water, best at 44–58°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch winter flounder in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Peak season is April–June. Winter flounder are in Rhode Island and Cape Cod March–July and November. April: Flounder in the salt ponds and harbors — chum and sandworms; Rhode Island and Massachusetts set their own seasons.
Where do winter flounder hold in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Look on channel edge, grass flat, fishing pier — around Point Judith, Newport, Block Island, Westport, Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard.
What is the best bait for winter flounder in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Live bait: bloodworms. Bloodworms: A piece threaded on a #2 to 2/0 hook on a hi-lo or fish-finder rig — the striper, spot, croaker and white perch bait of the Chesapeake and the surf. 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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