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Fishing Back Bay: what the data says
8,466-acre bay near Virginia Beach. The water tops out around 7 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings (depths referenced to low tide), so the channels, holes and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Back Bay
Spring largemouth bass on Back Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
White Perch fishing at Back Bay
Spring white perch on Back Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Crappie fishing at Back Bay
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 7 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Back Bay?
Back Bay is about 7 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys (charted soundings referenced to low tide), so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Back Bay?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, white perch on Back Bay.
Where is the best fishing spot on Back Bay?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Back Bay?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Mobjack Bay · Lake Nottoway · Lake Gordon · James River · Rappahannock River · Briery Creek Lake
See how Back Bay stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Virginia · best crappie lakes in Virginia
Browse all Virginia fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.