Town(s):
Smithfield RI
County:
Providence
Size:
92
acres
Average Depth:
13
feet
Maximum Depth:
25
feet
Boating Allowed:
Kayaks, Canoes, Sail Boats, Electric Motor Boats, Power Boats, State & Local Rules & Regulations Apply
Swimming:
Swimming Allowed, No Restrictions
Ice-anglers should find good action on Georgiaville Pond in Smithfield. This 92-acre lake offers great bass and perch fishing. Some pickerel are available to keep your tip-ups jumping. Georgiaville Pond has a maximum depth of 25 feet with an average depth of 13 feet. During winter, the pond thermally stratifies. Below 10 feet deep, oxygen levels are often too low to support fish, so concentrate your fishing efforts in shallower water. Unlike the famous kettle ponds of Cape Cod, which were carved by glaciers, Georgiaville Pond is mostly manmade, one of a string of ponds enlarged to power the textile mills that flourished along the Woonsaquatucket River during the 19th century. The village was named after the Georgia Cotton Manufacturing Co. But it took Providence industrialist Zachariah Allen to turn the sleepy village into an industrial powerhouse that produced miles of cotton cloth. Not much is left of the area’s manufacturing past. The last mill, a machine-parts manufacturer, closed in 1986. The pond, once the site of carding machines and weaving looms, is now home to picnickers and swimmers, canoeists and boaters. Time seems to slow on a pond in late summer. The water is glassy. The dragonflies are sluggish. Even the children playing in the shallows are less frenetic. The only energy comes from a distant motorboat kicking up waves in its wake.
Water Quality:
Unknown
Vegetation Growth:
Minimal
Non-native Species:
Unknown
Fishing Comments:
The pond can be approached as three distinct areas. Anglers who prefer to fish in deep water should work the southern end of the pond where the shoreline is steep and shoals surround the pond's small islands. The central portion also has steep drop-offs, but several long, tapered points can be strong producers. The northern section is shallow and weedy, great for panfish and bass. Georgiaville Pond has more access for ice-anglers than for open-water anglers. The best access point lies near the Smithfield town beach.
Fish Species:
Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, Channel Catfish, Brown Bullhead, Bluegill
Boat Access:
Primarily Car-top boats & Canoes
Parking Spaces:
Less than 10
Directions:
ake Exit 8 off Interstate Route 295 north of Providence. Travel south on Route 7 for about two miles. After about two miles, turn right onto Whipple Road, and then turn right on Fernwood Avenue. Take the first right on Cross Street and then left on Stillwater Road to the beach.
Shoreline Development:
25-50%
