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7 km of the Pawcatuck River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 20 ft. The depth chart comes from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Pawcatuck River maps at 2,005 acres behind 11.2 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Call it 4.6 mi long by 1.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. If the bite dies, Chapman Pond is 3 mi to the northeast.
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 20 ft. Put Riffle & run (mile 0.2) first on the milk run — a rock pile near 11 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 5 to 20 ft, winter 4 to 20 ft. Start at Outside-bend hole (mile 3.9). It's a creek channel holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.9) (10 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 4 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.9) (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 2 to 20 ft. The depth story barely changes: 6 to 20 ft through summer, 3 to 20 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 0.2), a rock pile in the 11 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 0.2) (11 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 20 ft. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 3.9) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 10 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.9) (10 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.9) (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.9) (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.9) (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, pumpkinseed run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 10 ft before dropping to 6 to 18 ft for winter. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | open water | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts chain pickerel in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Pawcatuck River also holds largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), yellow perch (6 to 20 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), white perch (6 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Riffle & run (mile 0.2), sits near 11 ft.
Access data: Rhode Island DEM — Fishing and Boating Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Rhode Island waters are set by the Rhode Island DEM — and special regulations can apply to Pawcatuck River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Rhode Island fishing regulations →
Pawcatuck River is about 20 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, crappie, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, bluegill, white perch on Pawcatuck River. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Riffle & run (mile 0.2) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth 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.
Fishing on Pawcatuck River is regulated by the Rhode Island DEM. Check the official Rhode Island regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Chapman Pond 3 mi, RI · Stonington Harbor 4 mi, CT · Mystic River - Reach 1 of 2 7 mi, CT/RI/MA · Mystic Harbor 7 mi, CT · Fishers Island Sound 8 mi, CT · Watchaug Pond 8 mi, RI · Long Pond 9 mi, CT · Lantern Hill Pond 9 mi, CT · Ninigret Pond 9 mi, RI · School House Pond 10 mi, RI · Wyassup Lake 10 mi, CT · Lake Of Isles 11 mi, CT
See how Pawcatuck River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Rhode Island · best smallmouth bass lakes in Rhode Island · best crappie lakes in Rhode Island · best bluegill lakes in Rhode Island
Browse all Rhode Island fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.