On a summer day, scores of swans swim silently on Passeonkquis Cove. White herons hunch over the cove in the ghost of a tree. A hooded merganser refuses to leave the rock it had shared with some cormorants, flushed by the approach of two kayaks.

Earlier this winter, flocks of geese and brant covered the cove.

This is the place where Ed Mullen wants his ashes to be scattered some day.

He has been paddling his kayak here even on the coldest winter days, and he sends photos to his friends to prove it.

Mullen has paddled every inch of Narragansett Bay’s 250-mile shore for his book, Kayaking Narragansett Bay, A Precise Guide To 58 Launch Sites With Parking.

This is his favorite spot.

This wild and scenic place is less than a mile from strip malls, traffic and the heat and commotion of the city.

Just off Narragansett Parkway, south of Pawtuxet Village, a newly renovated boat-launching ramp offers access to Passeonkquis Cove and peace.

Only a few paddle strokes from the ramp to the north takes you to an island where a summer colony of stilt houses once stood, Mullen says. Many of the stones on the island are decorated with dates and hearts, carved in them long ago.

Turn south for a short paddle to historic Gaspee Point, or north toward the mouth of the Pawtuxet River. For a more aerobic workout, paddle straight ahead to the east and cross the Providence River to explore the shore of Bullock Neck in East Providence.

Late last spring, some large bass took tube-and-worm rigs here.

When the wind pipes up, the river can get choppy, but Passeonkquis Cove remains calm and peaceful.

To get to the launching area from Warwick Avenue, drive north on Narragansett Parkway. A big curve is marked with small arrows. Immediately after the curve, turn right on General Hawkins Place (it’s poorly marked). Turn right at Gaspee Point Drive, and go down the hill to the ramp on Bay Shore Boulevard.

To see the ramp on Google Earth, copy and paste this destination in the “Fly-to” box: Bay Shore Boulevard, Warwick, RI 02888.

Note how empty the parking area is; it’s a secret gem.

A 26-pound pike was lifted through the ice at Johnson’s Pond in Coventry, says Thom Pelletier of Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle. A posting on the SNESA internet forum says Jim Symkowitz, according to an e-mail from David Henault of Ocean State Tackle.

Pike fishing has been good at Worden Pond in South Kingstown, too, he reports.

The state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) stocked salmon Thursday and Friday, he says. Salmon stocking locations include Olney Pond in Lincoln, Stafford Pond in Tiverton, Barber Pond in South Kingstown, Meadowbrook Pond in Richmond, and Carbuncle Pond in Coventry. The salmon, mostly between five and 12 pounds each, are from the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Nashua National Fish Hatchery. Additional salmon may also become available from the National Fish Hatchery in Vermont.

Ice must have a uniform thickness of at least six inches before it is considered safe by DEM. It generally takes at least five to seven consecutive days of temperatures in the low 20s before ice may become safe. Even then, the strength of the ice is determined by a number of factors such as the size and depth of a pond, presence of springs or currents, and local temperature fluctuations. For ice conditions at Olney Pond at Lincoln Woods State Park, call DEM’s 24-hour ice safety hot line at 222-2632. DEM has an ice safety guide that can be found online at its Web site www.dem.ri.gov , by clicking on “Parks and Recreation” under “Offices and Divisions.”

In the Providence River last week, anglers reportedly caught two stripers over 40 pounds near the power plant.

tmeade@projo.com