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Fishing Bowdish Reservoir: what the data says
226-acre reservoir near Glocester. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Bowdish Reservoir
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Bowdish Reservoir
Spring smallmouth bass on Bowdish Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Bowdish Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Bowdish Reservoir
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Bowdish Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They move out to 3 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 10 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bowdish Reservoir?
Bowdish Reservoir is about 10 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Bowdish Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, chain pickerel on Bowdish Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bowdish Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bowdish Reservoir?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Wallum Lake · Waterman Reservoir · Carbuncle Pond · Flat River Reservoir · Tiogue Lake · Olney Pond
See how Bowdish Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Rhode Island · best smallmouth bass lakes in Rhode Island · best bluegill lakes in Rhode Island · best yellow perch lakes in Rhode Island
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