Wilson's Reservoir ( Jaron Site) Pascoag, RI

Posted by Wayne G. Barber  Photos property of Wayne G. Barber

Photos: Wayne G. Barber Collection

                    Fresh water 112 acres man-made earthern dam reservoir in northern RI.

The State boat ramp is on East Wallum Lake road  Take a right .06 miles off RT. 100 Wallum Lake road at the White Mill town park and the boat ramp is on the left. The body of water has always been called Wilson's Reservoir and now the RI DEM has a different sign at the entrance for Jaron Site fishing area. Very good cement boat launch area and a favorite for canoes and kayaking.
There is a 10hp limit on motors. The shoreline of the reservoir is a mix of developed and undeveloped land, but almost all of the shoreline is privately owned. About 75 year round and summer cottages surround about 40 % of the shoreline.

Gravel parking lot for about twenty cars and a little less if theirs a bass tournament in progress. Handicap parking signs are clearly posted and one of the few fresh water parking lots with a all night LED light for weigh in'

 Their is a few parking spots on Neris Way off RT. 100 Wallum Lake road at the dam and in front of this dam is the deepest portion of the body of water at 13 feet. A majority of the reservoir is between 3 feet to 6 feet deep and is lowered every fall and then closed to refill in middle March. The water comes from Wallum Lake and is gravity fed by a gate above on South Shore Road a left off of Rt.100

Wallum Lake Gate

The known population: consists of Yellow Perch,Blue Gill, Red Breasted Bluegill, Golden Shiners, Dace,Alewives,Green Breasted Bluegill,Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Occasional Brown Trout thru the Ice in one derby. The stocking truck heading to Wallum Lake surprised us with a few or got thru the gate above from Wallum Lake,Pickerel, Red Finn Pickerel, Largemouth Bass were introduced in

1956 which altered the resident smallmouth population to a handful stunted to 8 to 10 inch, Brown Bullhead and Albino Bullhead, Snapping ,Painted Turtles. Otters,Mink,Raccoon, Muskrats, Snakes, Crawfish, Osprey, Sea Gull, Green and Blue Herons and occasional Eagle passing by to go to Wallum Lake.

Since about 1960 the changing water use from industrial to recreational purposes has resulted in more stable water levels. As a consequence, the pan fish population has become dominant. 

 During the summer from late April thru the last of October the local Tuesday Night Bass club and the Thursday night BBC Burrillville Bass Club fish from 5pm to 8:00pm on a rotating basis and never the same week with the other 8 bodies of freshwater local bodies and catch and release all after the weigh in.  The first safe ice is on the Brouillard Lane Cove side of the reservoir.Ice permitting the Townsman Club holds a derby for the one fish largest bass after first ice. The second group, Burrillville Grid Iron Hebert Memorial Derby includes a nice warm Dynamite Submarine sandwich at the fund raiser and lately the Victory Sportsman Club from nearby Glocester will follow for a annual derby. The largest ice derby that I put on here drew 130 fishers with 5 tilts apiece for a local charity, Between the Cracks. 5.7 lb Bass, 4lb,7 oz Pickerel and the Bill Bodnar, Yellow Perch Award was for a one pound 12 inch fish. Another year there was a Otter under the ice, stealing shiners, cutting line and causing a lot of false thoughts of a really Big Fish !

URI biologist have electro charged here and told me that the body had the highest concentration of fish per acre in their studies and some really big Snapping Turtles and Black Water Snakes.