Species guide · Rhode Island
Tautog fishing in Rhode Island
Tautoga onitis, a nearshore species also called blackfish, tog and white chin. Listed for the New England region. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.
Right now it scores best in Block Island Sound at 49, one of 2 Rhode Island bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
New England
Shoulder season, about 1 more week- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Not present
- Apr: Off season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Shoulder season
- Jul: Off season
- Aug: Off season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Peak season
- Nov: Peak season
- Dec: Off season
Peak: May, Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): May to Jun, Sep to Nov.
Research notes, New England region
Move inshore to spawn once coastal water warms to about 11 C (52 F) in late April and May, and leave for deep rough bottom at 25-45 m (80-150 ft) when it drops below 10 C (50 F) in late fall. October and November produce the largest fish. Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut close tautog for parts of spring and summer under ASMFC regional quotas.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 2
Rhode Island bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's tautog score this hour.
Best window today 3-7 PM (62) · Best day Mon, Sep 28 at 6 PM (69) · 38 named spots
Best window today 3-6 PM (64) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 11 AM (71) · 183 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 45°F to 72°F, best between 50°F and 64°F.
- Water depth
- 5 to 120 ft of water.
- Structure
- Reef, wreck, jetty, bridge, pier, ledge and oyster, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water, with light current.Tautog feed with some current, but the bait has to sit in the rocks. Jetties and bridge pilings fish well on a moderate moving tide; on deeper wrecks the slower water near the change is easier to fish.
- Light
- Little tied to dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Tautog live in rocks, wrecks, bridge pilings and jetties and rarely stray from cover, usually in 10 to 60 feet inshore and deeper in late fall. Anchor so the bait sits in the structure, fish crab on a short rig or a tog jig, and set hard on the second tap before the fish pulls into the rocks. Clams and worms work better in cold spring water; hard crabs are the standard in fall.
- Methods
- bottom fishing, anchoring on structure, jigging
- Lures
- tog jigs tipped with crab
- Bait
- green crab, Asian shore crab, fiddler crab, clams, sea worms
Regulations
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Marine Fisheries. Synced with RIDEM Sep 17, 2026.
No reviewed tautog rule for Rhode Island is on file yet. Check with RIDEM before you keep one.