Size, bag and season for recreational striped bass in Rhode Island waters, as published by Rhode Island DEM Division of Marine Fisheries.
Also on the agency page: Circle hooks required with bait (not required for artificial lure with bait attached); gaffing prohibited; filleting/rack-retention rules in 250-RICR-90-00-3 §3.8.1.
Stale: this row was last checked Oct 8, 2026, past our 30-day limit. Treat it as history and go to the agency page.
Rules change in season, sometimes by emergency notice. This page summarizes the agency page on the date shown. If this summary and the agency page disagree, the agency page controls.
Striped bass rules along the coast are built around a slot. A fish below the minimum or above the maximum goes back, so a measuring device on board is part of the rig.
Rhode Island rules apply in state waters, generally out to 3 nautical miles. Possession of striped bass is prohibited in federal waters (the EEZ, beyond 3 nautical miles). Fishing for them there is also prohibited. Only state waters can be fished. 50 CFR Part 697 · eCFR ↗
Rules for the same fish change at the state line. If you run across it or land in the next state, those rules apply.
| State | Size | Bag | Status as of Oct 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 28" to less than 31" total length (slot) | 1 fish per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Massachusetts | 28" to less than 31" total length (slot) | 1 fish | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Rhode Island | 28" to less than 31" total length (slot) | 1 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Connecticut | 28" to less than 31" total length (slot) | 1 fish per angler per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| New York | 28"–31" total length (slot) in marine waters | 1 fish | Openas of Oct 13 · Open through Dec 15 |
All 13 states for striped bass →
Attributed operator claims, not verified catches. The full Bite Wire →
Will Sirotnak's October 1 report noted false albacore and bonito still present in the mid-bay and Narragansett area after the storm, though numbers had dropped from the late-September peak. Stripers and bluefish were the main show, with surface feeds from Providence down to the ocean side.
