250-RICR-60-00-10. Freshwater Fishing Regulations (version Periodic Refile, 12/31/2001 to 08/15/2002)

FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FISH AND WILDLIFE RHODE ISLAND RHODE ISLAND FISHING FISHING REGULATIONS REGULATIONS FOR the FOR the 2001 - 2002 2001 - 2002 SEASON SEASON July 25, 2000 AUTHORITY: These regulations are adopted pursuant to Chapter 20-1-12 and 20-1-13, 42-17.1, FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) 42-17.6 , and 42-35, “Administrative Procedures Act” of the General Laws of 1956, as amended. STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FISH AND WILDLIFE RHODE ISLAND FISHING REGULATIONS FOR THE 2001 - 2002 SEASON T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Part I - FRESHWATER Fisheries Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Designated Trout Waters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Part II - ANADROMOUS Fisheries Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3 FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) PART I PART I FRESHWATER FISHERIES REGULATIONS FRESHWATER FISHERIES REGULATIONS 1.1 The open season on all species of trout, salmon, and charr shall close annually on the last day of February at midnight and shall commence at 0600 hrs. on the second Saturday in April annually. From the second Saturday in April through 30 November annually, the daily creel and possession limits for trout shall be six (6) fish; and from 1 December through the last day in February, annually, the daily creel and possession limits for trout shall be two (2) fish. All designated trout waters (see 1.14) shall be closed to all fishing from the last day of February at midnight and shall commence at 0600 hrs. on the second Saturday in April annually unless otherwise designated. Possession of trout, salmon, or charr taken from any waters of the state during the closure shall be prohibited. Free Fishing Days: A freshwater fishing license shall not be required by either residents or non-residents on the 2nd and 3rd of June, 2001. 1.2 The daily creel and possession limits for northern pike shall be two (2) fish, and the minimum size limit shall be twenty-four (24) inches (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail). The daily creel and possession limits for chain pickerel shall be five (5) fish, and the minimum size limit for chain pickerel shall be fourteen (14) inches (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail). No person shall possess any northern pike less than 24 inches in total length or chain pickerel less than 14 inches in total length. 1.3 The daily creel and possession limits for black bass (largemouth and smallmouth bass) shall be five (5) fish, either singularly or in aggregate, and the minimum size limit shall be twelve (12) inches (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail). No person shall possess any black bass less than 12 inches in total length. 1.4 The creel and possession limit for domestic or landlocked Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in the fresh waters of Rhode Island shall be two (2) fish per day and shall be included in the daily limit for trout, salmon, or charr. The minimum size for Atlantic salmon shall be fifteen (15) inches total length. No person shall take any Atlantic salmon from the Pawcatuck River downstream of the Potter Hill dam. 1.5 The minimum size limit for American eel Anguilla rostrata shall be six (6) inches (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail). 1 FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) 1.6 The creel and possession limits for trout, or charr taken in the Wood River between Route 165 and Arcadia Road from, 12 May 2001, through the last day of February, 2002 shall be two (2) fish. 1.7 The following waters shall be restricted to the use of artificial flies, a conventional fly rod, and a single-action reel: Deep Pond, Exeter; Mowry Meadow Pond, Glocester; A. L. Mowry Pond, Smithfield; and Upper Rochambeau Pond, Lincoln. 1.8 The following waters shall be restricted to fishing by persons fourteen years of age and younger: Frosty Hollow Pond, Exeter; Geneva Pond & Brook, North Providence; Lapham Pond, Burrillville; Sidel's Pond, Cranston; Silvy's Pond, Cumberland; Lloyd Kenney Pond, Hopkinton; and Cass Pond, Woonsocket, and Slater Park Pond, Pawtucket. (Cass Pond and Slater Park Pond shall be restricted only for the first two days of the season, 14 and 15 April 2001). 1.9 The following activities shall be PROHIBITED: a. Using corn for bait in any designated trout waters. b. Chumming in any designated trout waters. c. Snagging fish in any fresh waters. d. Tagging, branding, marking, or otherwise willfully mutilating any fish which is to be released alive into any fresh waters of the state except by special permit issued by the Division. 1.10 With the exception of designated catch-and-release areas, any legally-caught trout salmon, or charr taken from the fresh waters of Rhode Island shall be immediately released alive into the waters from which it was taken or shall be killed at once and become part of the daily bag limit. 1.11 Beach Pond, Exeter shall have the following special regulations: The season for trout shall open on, 21 April 2001, at 0600 hrs. and close at midnight on 28 February 2002. The daily creel and possession limits for trout (all species in aggregate) shall be five (5) fish. The daily creel and pos- session limits for black bass shall be five (5) fish, and the minimum size limit shall be twelve (12) inches (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail). The daily creel and possession limits for chain pickerel shall be five (5) fish, and the minimum size limit shall be fourteen (14) inches (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail). Six (6) lines with a single hook each may be used while ice fishing. 1.12 Killingly Pond and Hazard Pond shall have the following special regulations: The daily creel and possession limits for black bass shall be five (5) fish, and the minimum size limit shall be twelve (12) inches (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail). The daily creel and possession limits for chain pickerel shall be five (5) fish, and the minimum size limit shall be fourteen (14) inches (measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail). Six (6) lines with a single hook each may be used while ice fishing. 1.13 That portion of the Falls River from the bridge at Austin Farm Road downstream approximately 2 FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) two miles to the bridge off Brook Trail shall be designated as a "no-kill" or "catch-and-release" area. Fishing shall be permitted with artificial lures equipped with a single barbless hook or single barbed hook which has been crimped only, and all fish caught shall be returned to the water immediately. The possession of any trout, salmon, or charr while fishing in this section of the river shall be prima facie evidence that said trout, salmon, or charr was taken in violation of this regulation. 1.14 Designated Trout Waters Name Location Abbotts Run Brook Cumberland Adamsville Brook and Pond Tiverton & Little Compton Aldrich Brook (Butterfly Pond) Lincoln Alton Pond Richmond & Hopkinton Ashaway River Hopkinton Ashville Pond Hopkinton Barber Pond South Kingstown Beach Pond Exeter Beaver River Richmond Big River West Greenwich Blackstone River Cumberland & Lincoln Brandy Brook Glocester Breakheart Brook Exeter Breakheart Pond Exeter & West Greenwich Brickyard Pond Barrington Brushy Brook Hopkinton Bucks Horn Brook Coventry Carbuncle Pond Coventry Carolina Trout Pond Richmond Cass Pond Woonsocket Chepachet River Glocester & Burrillville Chickasheen Brook South Kingstown Clear River Burrillville Curran, J.L. Reservoir Cranston Deep Pond (Arcadia) Exeter Dexter Pond Scituate Dolly Cole Brook Foster Dunderry Brook Little Compton Falls River Exeter & West Greenwich Flat River Exeter 3 FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) Foster Green Acres Pond Foster Frenchtown Park Pond East Greenwich Frosty Hollow Pond Exeter Geneva Brook & Pond North Providence Harris River Woonsocket Hopkins Mill Pond Foster Hunt River East Greenwich & No. Kingstown Lapham Pond Burrillville Lloyd Kenney Pond Hopkinton Log House Brook Hopkinton Meadow Brook Richmond Name Location Meadow Brook Pond Richmond Melville Ponds Portsmouth Memorial Park Pond Lincoln Meshanticut Brook Cranston Moosup River Coventry Mowry, A.L. Pond Smithfield Mowry Meadow Pond Glocester Olney Pond Lincoln Parris Brook Exeter Pawcatuck River Hopkinton, Richmond, Charlestown, & Westerly Pawtuxet River (north branch) Scituate Pawtuxet River (south branch) Coventry Peck Pond Burrillville Peeptoad Brook Glocester Ponaganset River Foster Roaring Brook & Ponds Exeter Round Top Brook Burrillville Round Top Ponds Burrillville Saint Mary’s Pond Portsmouth Saugatucket River South Kingstown Seidel’s Pond Cranston Shippee Saw Mill Pond Foster Silver Spring Lake North Kingstown Silvy’s Brook Cumberland Silvy’s Pond Cumberland Simmons Mill Pond Little Compton Slater Park Pond Pawtucket Spring Grove Pond Glocester 4 FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) Stafford Pond Tiverton Sylvester’s Pond Woonsocket Tarkiln Pond Burrillville & North Smithfield Tiverton Trout Pond Tiverton Tucker Pond South Kingstown Upper Rochambeau Pond Lincoln Wallum Lake Burrillville Watchaug Pond Charlestown Willett Pond East Providence Winsor Brook Foster Wood River Exeter, Hopkinton, & Richmond Woonasquatucket River Smithfield Wyoming Pond Richmond & Hopkinton PART II PART II ANADROMOUS FISHERIES REGULATIONS ANADROMOUS FISHERIES REGULATIONS 2.1 No person shall take more than twenty-four (24) alewives Alosa pseudoharengus or blueback herring Alosa aestivalis either singularly or in aggregate from the freshwater streams or rivers of the state in any 24-hour period. No person shall take any alewives or blueback herring from the fresh waters of the state without a valid freshwater fishing license. No person shall take any alewives or blueback herring from the fresh waters of the state on any Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday of any week. 2.2 No person shall take any alewives or blueback herring by any means other than by a hand-held and hand-operated dip net with a diameter no greater than two and one-half feet (2 ½') or by a seine not greater than four feet (4') deep by eight feet (8') long. 2.3 No person shall erect any artificial obstruction to fish passage in any stream or in any way alter the natural stream bottom to hinder the passage of fish. 2.4 No person shall place a seine or netting more than half way across any stream or mouth or outflow of any stream. 2.5 Any person taking an alewife or blueback herring must remove it from the pond or stream and keep it in his or her possession. 5 FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) 2.6 No person shall take any American shad Alosa sapidissima from the fresh waters of the state. 2.7 No person shall take any smelt Osmerus mordax by any means from any stream or river in the state with the exception of the Pawcatuck River. 2.8 Fish Ladders 2.8.1 Trespass within or obstruction of the entrance or exit of any fish ladder in the state is prohibited. 2.8.2 For the purposes of regulating anadromous fishes, all fish ladders owned and operated by the state will be set aside as fish cultivation facilities pursuant to sections 20-12-1 and 20-12-5 of the General Laws of Rhode Island. 2.8.3 The areas below each fish ladder where fishing will be permitted shall be designated with an official boundary marker or informational sign. 2.9 Boundaries -- The defined boundaries for the freshwater and saltwater sections of Rhode Island's rivers and streams with regard to the areas where freshwater regulations apply are as follows: Pawcatuck River--the bridge crossing U.S. Route 1. Mastuxet Brook--the point at which it empties into Mastuxet Cove. King Tom Pond outlet into Ninigret Pond--the spillway at the south end of King Tom Pond. Factory Pond outlet--the seaward opening of the culvert under Teal Road. Mill Pond outlet into Cards Pond--the bridge on Moonstone Beach Road crossing the west neck of Cards Pond. Smelt Brook--the bridge closest to the outlet. Saugatucket River--the Main Street bridge in Wakefield. Gilbert Stuart Brook--the point at which it empties into the Pettaquamscutt River. Wesquage Pond--the culvert at the outlet to Bonnet Shores Beach. Annaquatucket River--the point at which the it empties into Bissel Cove. Cocumscussock Brook--the bottom of the first riffle upstream of Wickford Cove. Potowomut River--the Forge Road spillway. Maskerchugg River--the Boston Post Road (U.S. Route 1) bridge. Gorton Pond outlet--the Centerville Road bridge. Tuscatucket Brook--The West Shore Road bridge. Old Mill Creek--entirely tidal. Warner Brook--the Draper Avenue bridge. Buckeye Brook--the West Shore Road bridge. Lockwood Brook--the West Shore Road bridge. Spring Green Pond outlet--the Warwick Avenue (R.I. Route 117A) bridge. Pawtuxet River--Narragansett spillway. Woonasquatucket River--the U.S. Route 1N bridge. 6 FWFISHING.DEM (2001-2002) Moshassuck River--the point of confluence with the Woonasquatucket River. Seekonk River--the Main Street spillway. Ten Mile River--the Omega Pond spillway. Annawomscutt Brook--the Pilling Chain Company spillway on Bay Spring Avenue, Barrington. Mussachuck Creek--the bridge on Washington Road. Runnins River--the Mink Street (R.I. Route 114A) bridge. Kickamuit River--the Warren Reservoir spillway. Sin and Flesh Brook--the Highland Avenue (R.I. Route 126) bridge. Nonquit Pond--the spillway. Pachet Brook--the West Mail Road (R.I. Route 77) bridge. Dunderry Brook--the Swamp Road bridge. Cold Brook--the point at which it empties into Quicksand Pond. Maidford River--the Paradise Avenue bridge. Goose Neck Cove--entirely tidal. Lily Pond--the outlet. Almy Pond--the outlet.