Moshassuck River Fishing Guides
A short urban Rhode Island river running through Lincoln and Providence to the head of Narragansett Bay, much improved by decades of cleanup and quietly fishable in the city.
Guides on the Moshassuck River
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About the Moshassuck River
The Moshassuck is a small river with an outsized place in Rhode Island’s history. It rises in Lincoln, runs south about ten miles through Pawtucket and into Providence, and joins the Woonasquatucket downtown to form the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay. For two centuries it was one of the hardest-worked rivers in New England, powering mills and then absorbing their waste, and for much of the twentieth century it was effectively written off. That it is fishable at all today is the result of a long and unglamorous cleanup, and the recovery is genuine if still incomplete.
Nobody would call this a destination fishery, but it holds more than people expect. Brown trout are present in the cooler upper reaches in Lincoln, where the river runs through woodland and small parks before entering the dense urban corridor. Largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill and black crappie use the slower impounded sections, carp and bullhead are common in the lower river, and American eel still run the whole length to the bay. The Blackstone Valley greenway has opened up bank access along stretches that were inaccessible for generations.
At about twenty-three square miles of drainage this is a flashy little river, and the gauge in Providence tells you most of what you need to know. It rises fast after rain, carries urban runoff with it, and drops back within a day or so. Fish it when it is low and clear. Consumption advisories apply to a river with this industrial history, and anyone fishing it should read the current state guidance rather than assuming, and treat it as catch and release. For anglers in Providence it is best thought of as a convenient place to fish an hour after work rather than a destination, and on that basis the river is a quiet success story worth knowing about.
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Access
Providence - the gauge location and the lower river, with greenway path access through the city.
Lincoln - the upper watershed, where the river runs through woodland and holds the coolest water and the brown trout.
Pawtucket - the middle corridor, with bank access from parks and the Blackstone Valley greenway.
Blackstone Valley Bike Path - the shared-use path that provides most of the practical public bank access along the river.
Woonasquatucket confluence - the downstream junction in central Providence that forms the Providence River.
Narragansett Bay - the tidal water at the bottom of the system, which the river's eels and migratory fish use.
Collyer Field and city parks - the pockets of open bank in the urban corridor where fishing is practical.
Seasons
Spring: the best water of the year, running full and cool, with brown trout active in the upper reaches before summer warming sets in.
Summer: low, warm and urban, with the warmwater species in the slower sections and the upper river the only reliably cool water.
Fall: cooling temperatures and steadier flows improve the fishing noticeably, and the greenway makes autumn bank access pleasant.
Winter: low and often partly iced, with limited fishing and the river mainly of interest for its eels and resident warmwater fish.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Moshassuck River?
As of Nov 2, 7:45 am, the USGS gauge MOSHASSUCK RIVER AT PROVIDENCE, RI reads 12 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Moshassuck River?
Anglers target American Eel, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Brown Trout, Bullhead, Chain Pickerel, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, White Sucker, Yellow Perch on the Moshassuck River in Rhode Island.
Where can you access the Moshassuck River?
Providence - the gauge location and the lower river, with greenway path access through the city. Lincoln - the upper watershed, where the river runs through woodland and holds the coolest water and the brown trout. Pawtucket - the middle corridor, with bank access from parks and the Blackstone Valley greenway. Blackstone Valley Bike Path - the shared-use path that provides most of the practical public bank access along the river. Woonasquatucket confluence - the downstream junction in central Providence that forms the Providence River. Narragansett Bay - the tidal water at the bottom of the sy...
When is the best time to fish the Moshassuck River?
Spring: the best water of the year, running full and cool, with brown trout active in the upper reaches before summer warming sets in. Summer: low, warm and urban, with the warmwater species in the slower sections and the upper river the only reliably cool water. Fall: cooling temperatures and steadier flows improve the fishing noticeably, and the greenway makes autumn bank access pleasant. Winter: low and often partly iced, with limited fishing and the river mainly of interest for its eels and resident warmwater fish.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Moshassuck River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Rhode Island agency site: https://dem.ri.gov/natural-resources-bureau/fish-wildlife/freshwater-fisheries