2026 RISAA Black Sea Bass Charter Trip

The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association has operated its annual member and public charter program out of the Frances Fleet at 33 State Street in Point Judith, Narragansett, Rhode Island, for years, using the full-day party boat format to put participants over the black sea bass grounds that characterize the Rhode Island Sound’s summer inshore fishery. The 2026 RISAA Black Sea Bass Charter Trip program runs June 1 through October 5, with departures available through the Frances Fleet’s booking system for both RISAA members and the general public. Black sea bass, a reef-associated species that congregates around the rocky bottom structure and artificial reefs that define the Sound’s mid-depth zone, reach their peak abundance and size in Rhode Island waters from June through September, making this the most productive window of the charter season.

The Frances Fleet is one of the longest-operating party boat operations on the New England coast, running both the 100-foot Frances and the 65-foot Southland from Point Judith’s commercial marina. Full-day black sea bass trips typically run six to eight hours, with bait, tackle, and fish cleaning included or available at the dock. RISAA membership provides trip discounts and priority booking access; annual membership details are available through risaa.org. Participants are encouraged to check Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s current black sea bass regulations before each trip, as size and bag limits are subject to annual federal and state adjustment.

Point Judith and the Rhode Island South Coast

Point Judith is the westernmost navigable harbor on the Rhode Island south coast before the coastline transitions into the barrier beach system protecting Ninigret Pond and Green Hill Pond. The Point Judith Fishermen’s Memorial at the harbor entrance marks the commercial fishing history of a port that still maintains one of the most active commercial fleets on the New England coast. Galilee, the fishing village adjacent to the harbor, is Rhode Island’s most concentrated seafood processing and restaurant district, with George’s of Galilee having operated at 250 Sand Hill Cove Road since 1948 and remaining the most frequently cited local restaurant for fresh-off-the-boat chowder and striped bass on the Rhode Island south shore. The Block Island Ferry departing from Galilee reaches Block Island in approximately one hour, making a charter morning followed by a Block Island afternoon an efficient combination for visitors with a full day on the south coast.

If You’re Going with Kids
Black sea bass are among the most beginner-friendly target species in the Northeast party boat fishery: they bite reliably, fight spiritedly for their size, and reach legal keeper dimensions that give younger anglers a genuine chance at a successful first harvest. The Frances Fleet’s party boat format includes crew assistance with baiting, unhooking, and the basic techniques that convert inexperienced participants into functional anglers over the course of a single trip. Minimum age requirements for unaccompanied minors should be confirmed with the fleet directly; children accompanied by an adult guardian have participated on Frances Fleet trips from ages as young as six.

The Rhode Island Coastal Water Connection

The Rhode Island south coast’s barrier pond system, which runs from Ninigret Pond in Charlestown through Trustom Pond and Quonochontaug Pond to Winnapaug Pond at the Connecticut border, provides a sheltered paddling and wildlife-watching environment directly adjacent to the ocean fishing corridor. Ninigret Pond, the largest of the coastal ponds at 1,700 acres, is managed as part of the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge and has a boat launch at the Charlestown Breachway for kayakers accessing the pond’s interior from the ocean side. For vacation rental properties on the Rhode Island south coast near Narragansett and the Point Judith fishing district, look on Lake.com.