Jamestown / Conanicut Island — Dinghy Fishing & Clamming Chart
Spots reachable by a small inflatable, with peak season, tide notes, and distance from the nearest ramp. Every pin was checked against two independent shoreline sources — all 27 sit in navigable water. Switch the basemap to the NOAA chart or bathymetry from the layers control, top right.
Peak season at a glance
Solid bar = peak bite / best digging around Jamestown. Faded bar = open but slower. Bars reflect the 2026 RI recreational seasons; confirm before you keep anything.
2026 RI limits worth memorizing
| Species | Min size | Season | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass | 28–<31″ slot | Year-round | 1 |
| Bluefish | none | Year-round | 5 |
| Tautog | 16″ | Apr 1–May 31, Aug 1–Oct 14 | 3 |
| Tautog | 16″ | Oct 15–Dec 31 | 5 |
| Scup | 11″ boat / 9.5″ shore | May 1–Dec 31 | 30 |
| Black sea bass | 16″ | May 16–Dec 31 | 3 |
| Fluke | 19″ | Apr 1–Dec 31 | 6 |
| Quahog | 1″ hinge | Year-round, sunrise–sunset | ½ bu (res.) |
| Soft-shell clam | 2″ | Year-round, sunrise–sunset | ½ bu (res.) |
| Oyster | 3″ | Sep 15–May 15 | — |
| Bay scallop | — | 1st Sat Nov–Dec 31 | — |
Tautog is closed Jun 1–Jul 31. No shellfishing anywhere in RI between sunset and sunrise.
Shellfish closures you must respect
- Dutch Harbor, Jamestown — closed to shellfishing May 24 – Oct 14 every year (marina / mooring-field water quality). Work outside the mooring field or come back in the fall.
- Fort Wetherill — same seasonal marina closure, May 24 – Oct 14.
- Conditionally approved areas close automatically after heavy rain. Call the 24/7 hotline before you dig:
401-222-2900. - Check the DEM interactive shellfish closure map the morning of — boundaries shift.
- RI residents need no shellfish license. Non-residents do.
Dinghy reality check
- Prevailing summer wind is SW and it builds after ~11 a.m. Launch at first light, be back before the afternoon chop. This single rule matters more than any spot on this map.
- Tidal range is ~3.5 ft. Current in the passages runs 1–2 kt and rips hard at Beavertail, Dutch Island Gut, and the bridge piers. Fish the last hour of a tide, not mid-flood.
- The West Passage side (Dutch Harbor, Sheffield Cove, Dutch Island Harbor) is by far the friendliest dinghy water on the island — shallow, sheltered, short runs.
- Beavertail Point and Southwest Ledge are open-ocean water with no lee. An inflatable has no business there except dead-calm slack water with a hard turn-back rule.
- East Passage carries the Newport–Jamestown ferry, Navy vessels, and commercial traffic. Stay out of the marked channel; take wakes on the bow.
- Carry: VHF or charged phone in a dry bag, anchor with 50 ft rode, hand pump, PFDs, and a float plan someone ashore knows.
Built Aug 2026. Spot coordinates were checked against two independent shoreline datasets. Seasons and limits follow the 2026 RI recreational regulations — confirm with RI DEM before you keep anything, and call the shellfish hotline at 401-222-2900 the morning you dig. Nothing here is a substitute for a chart, a forecast and your own judgment.