Fishing & Boating

You can fish Watchaug Pond at Burlingame State Park with a Rhode Island freshwater fishing licence, required from age 15. DEM lists the pond as a designated trout water and stocked it in April 2026. The state boat ramp is on Sanctuary Road, past the picnic area, and DEM lists it as accessible with no horsepower limit. A resident licence costs $24 on DEM's fee page, and you need a $6 trout stamp to keep trout.

Fishing Watchaug Pond

DEM's park page lists freshwater fishing as one of the main things to do at Burlingame, and notes that you need a Rhode Island freshwater fishing licence. Watchaug Pond is on DEM's list of designated trout waters. In 2026 DEM stocked it on April 20 and again on April 28.

Trout-stocked waters follow a season. DEM's 2026–27 freshwater season runs from April 11, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Each year, trout-stocked waters close in late winter and reopen on the traditional opening day, the second Saturday in April. Other freshwater species can be fished year round.

Licence Rules

Anyone 15 or older needs a Rhode Island freshwater fishing licence. The licence year runs from March 1 to the last day of February. DEM's licence fee page lists:

• Rhode Island resident (or current member of the U.S. armed forces): $24
• Combination hunting and fishing: $43
• Non-resident: $41
• Non-resident tourist, three consecutive days: $20
• Special trout conservation stamp: $6

DEM's freshwater FAQ page shows a different fee table, with separate online and licence-agent prices (for example $21 online and $23 at an agent for a resident licence), so check the price when you buy. Rhode Island residents 65 or older, and veterans or others with a 100% permanent disability, fish free but still need the licence. Blind persons need no licence.

The trout stamp is required to keep or possess any trout, salmon or charr caught in Rhode Island, and to fish any catch-and-release or fly-fishing-only area.

Buy licences online at rio.ri.gov or from a town clerk or licensed agent.

Boat Ramp and Directions

DEM's freshwater boat ramp directions for Watchaug Pond: from Route 1 south, take the exit for Burlingame State Park and Picnic Area (Prosser Trail), turn left onto Sanctuary Road (there is a sign for the park), and follow Sanctuary Road past the park and picnic area until it turns into a dirt road. The ramp is on the right.

DEM lists the ramp as:

• Handicapped accessible
• No horsepower restriction
• With parking

Registered campers also have a boat ramp inside the campground, and the campground rents canoes.

Paddling

The campground rents canoes, and DEM's own photos of the park include kayaks. Launch from the Sanctuary Road ramp, or from the campground if you are staying there. Freshwater paddling is calmer than the coastal salt ponds, but wind across the open pond can raise a chop, so stay near shore if it picks up and wear a life jacket.

Hunting Season Note

The Gormley Trail passes through the Burlingame Management Area, where hunting is allowed. If you walk in to fish in the fall, wear blaze orange during hunting seasons. See hiking.

Saltwater Fishing Nearby

The coast is a short drive south, and DEM calls Charlestown Breachway "one of the best salt water fishing areas in South County." Saltwater rules are different:

• Charlestown Breachway and East Beach allow saltwater fishing only outside lifeguarded hours, and parking costs a state beach fee in season. See Charlestown Breachway and East Beach.
• State saltwater boat ramps in Charlestown are at the Quonochontaug Breachway, off West Beach Road, and at the west end of Charlestown Beach Road at the breachway. DEM lists both at about 3 feet deep at mean low water.
• Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge allows fishing and opens extended hours in May for the cinder worm hatch. See the refuge page.
• Town beaches ban fishing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Saltwater fishing in Rhode Island needs a separate recreational saltwater licence, required from age 16, not the freshwater licence. Check DEM's marine fisheries pages before you cast.

Where to Stay

If you want to fish at dawn, the campground is on the pond, and cabins are available. The campground has no hookups, so bring a cooler for your catch.