Melville Ponds, Rhode Island: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Rhode Island, Melville Ponds belongs to Newport County. The ground round it is farm and woodlot. Melville is the closest place, 0.4 miles off. Portsmouth follows at 1.6 miles, then Middletown at 3.2 miles. Water in the same corner: Lawton Valley Reservoir a shade over 1.8 miles, Saint Marys Pond after 2.5 miles, Sisson Pond a shade over 2.7 miles, Nannaquaket Pond after 4.2 miles and Nonquit Pond a shade over 4.7 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Melville Ponds

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Work the tide here — moving water feeds, slack water rests. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Newport County records list striped bass, American eel, alewife, banded rudderfish and bluegill among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Melville Ponds that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 29°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. That is the shape of the year on Melville Ponds.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. New England Boatworks is half a mile from the water and covers boat needs. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. Public data records a pier about half a mile out. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lawton Valley Reservoir, 1.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Melville Ponds.