Management Area Boating Regulations

Boating Information: Management Area Ponds & Lakes

1. Definition: Float Tube — any device manufactured and sold for use as a fishing float tube. Float tubes are prohibited on the following ponds: Little Round Top Pond, Burrillville; A.L. Mowry Pond, Smithfield; Frosty Hollow Pond, Exeter; and Carolina Trout Pond, Richmond.
2. Boating is prohibited within the impoundment created by the Great Swamp dike, within the Great Swamp Management Area during the period September 1st through March 31st annually except by licensed migratory bird hunters. All motors are prohibited at all times.
3. Boats are prohibited on the following ponds: Round Top and Little Round Top Ponds, Burrillville; Peck Pond, Burrillville; Deep Pond — Arcadia, Exeter; Frosty Hollow Pond, Exeter; Gristmill Pond, Glocester; Carolina Trout Pond, Richmond; Lower Roaring Brook, Richmond; A.L. Mowry Pond, Smithfield.
4. The launching, hauling, or operation of boats with motors of any kind is prohibited from state-owned and/or operated ramps on the following ponds: Asa Pond, South Kingstown; and Upper Roaring Brook Ponds, Exeter.
5. The launching, hauling, and operation of boats with motors of any kind, except electric trolling motors, is prohibited from state-owned and/or operated ramps on the following bodies of water: Spring Lake & Union Pond, Burrillville; Carbuncle Pond, Coventry; Shippee Saw Mill Pond, Foster; Clarkville Pond and Lake Washington, Glocester; Alton Pond and Blue Pond (no ramp), Hopkinton; Carr Pond and Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown; Simmons Mill Pond, Little Compton; Browning Mill Pond, Richmond; Pawtuxet River (Hope), Scituate; and Barber’s Pond, South Kingstown.
6. Per town ordinance: No person shall operate any motorboat, except a motorboat propelled by an electric motor, on the waters of Barber’s Pond within the territorial limits of the Town of South Kingstown.
7. The use of motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower on boats launched, hauled, or operated from state-owned and/or operated ramps is prohibited on the following bodies of water: Wilson Reservoir, Burrillville; Keech Pond, Smith & Sayles Reservoir (Sand Dam), and Bowdish Reservoir, Glocester; Woonasquatucket Reservoir (Stump Pond), Smithfield; Indian Lake and Tucker Pond, South Kingstown; Ashville and Locustville Ponds, Hopkinton; Chapman Pond, Westerly.
8. Per town ordinance: No person shall operate any motorboat with a motor in excess of 10 horsepower on the waters of Indian Lake, within the territorial limits of the Town of South Kingstown.
9. No person shall use any motor in excess of ten (10) horsepower from state-owned and/or operated ramps on Stafford Pond, Tiverton, and Wilson Reservoir, Burrillville, with the exception that the use of motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower on boats launched, hauled, or operated from state-owned and/or operated ramps on Stafford Pond, Tiverton, and Wilson Reservoir, Burrillville, is permitted for organized fishing activities possessing a valid permit from RIDEM-Fish & Wildlife; as described in ‘Fishing Activities Requiring a Permit’ on page 19 of this 2024-2025 Freshwater Fishing Guide.
10. PROPOSED REGULATION CHANGE: No person shall use any motor in excess of ten (10) horsepower from the state-owned and/or operated boat ramp on Bowdish Reservoir in the George Washington State Campground, Glocester, with the exception that permitted organized fishing activities, i.e. tournaments shall be allowed to use motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower on the waters of Bowdish Reservoir at the state-owned launching ramp in the George Washington State Campground, Glocester, between the Saturday before Memorial Day and Labor Day of each year, inclusive. See Fishing Activities Requiring A Parking Permit, of this 2024-2025 Freshwater Fishing Guide.

    NEW POLICY: Bowdish Reservoir Boat Ramp Non-Camper Parking Reservation Policy: All non-campers launching a vessel from the Bowdish Reservoir boat ramp, in the George Washington State Campground, Glocester, between the second Friday in April through October 31, must make a parking reservation whether parking or not, by filling out a permit application at: https://dem.ri.gov/bowdish-reservoir-boat-ramp-parking; or refer to page 14 for permit application QR code. Three parking spaces and one handicapped parking space will be designated for non-campground users. Campground users may not reserve or use these spaces. For more information, please contact Gabriel Betty at [email protected].

11. The use of motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower on boats launched, hauled, or operated from the state-owned ramp on Wakefield Pond, Burrillville, is prohibited at all times. The use of any motor on a boat from this state-owned ramp, except electric trolling motors, is prohibited from June 20th to September 20th of any year, inclusive.
12. No person shall use any motor in excess of ten (10) horsepower from state-owned and/or operated ramps on Pascoag Reservoir at the state-owned launching ramp on Schoolhouse Road, Glocester, with the exception that permitted organized fishing activities, i.e. tournaments, shall be allowed to use motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower on the waters of Pascoag Reservoir at the state-owned launching ramp on Schoolhouse Road, Glocester, between the Saturday before Memorial Day and Labor Day of each year, inclusive.
13. The operation of boats with motors of any kind, except electric trolling motors, is prohibited on the waters of Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods State Park on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays between the Saturday before Memorial Day and Labor Day of each year, inclusive.
14. The operation of boats with motors of any kind, except electric trolling motors, owned by persons other than the State of Rhode Island with motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower is prohibited upon Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods State Park except with official written permission from the RIDEM Division of Fish and Wildlife.
15. The use of motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower on boats launched, hauled, or operated on the waters of Breakheart Pond in Exeter and John L. Curran State Park is prohibited.
16. Only vehicles launching or landing a boat will be permitted to park in designated boat trailer areas, unless otherwise designated.
17. The mooring of boats, the parking of vehicles, or engaging in any other activity on land or water so as to obstruct the use of a boat launching ramp by others, is prohibited.
18. Boats shall be launched only at designated areas.
19. Boats shall be tied up at state boat ramps for no longer than 30 minutes.
20. Fishermen utilizing State Management Areas and designated undeveloped State Parks are required to wear fluorescent orange during hunting seasons as referenced in the Park and Management Area Rules and Regulations. See page 4 for more information.
21. Prohibited is the transport of any plant or plant part into or out of any Rhode Island waterbody on boats, vessels, other water conveyances, vehicles, trailers, fishing supplies, or any other equipment, with the exception of authorized research activities, species identification and other management activities.