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11,465-acre Back Sound fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (84.56% measured, 99.8% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 55 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Back Sound draws 11,471 acres inside 58.7 miles of shoreline — 100 islands included. With a shoreline index of 3.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 94% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 9.2 mi with a 2.9-mi widest point. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Bogue Sound, 19 mi west of here.
Spring puts red drum (redfish) in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 15 ft. Shallow feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for fall red drum (redfish). Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted wreck (2 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel in Back Sound St. 0+00 - 80+00 channel edge (10 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (18 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (14 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
When the water first warms, spotted seatrout slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 20 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel in Back Sound St. 0+00 - 80+00 channel edge (10 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (18 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (14 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Start shallow in spring: southern flounder sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 18 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge, a channel edge in the 14 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (14 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (14 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (22 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black drum in 4 to 25 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 18 ft through summer, 8 to 35 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge, a channel edge in the 22 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (22 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (14 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (22 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 8 to 35 ft | midday | Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge (22 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
In spring, sheepshead run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 15 ft, and they winter in 10 to 30 ft. Summer sheepshead concentrate at NOAA charted pier, a prime-rated dock line around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small jig + crab piece most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (5 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (3 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (7 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (12 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Count 57 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, sits near 36 ft.
Access data: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — Boating Access Areas (OBJECTID 83). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Carolina waters are set by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to Back Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
Back Sound is about 55 ft (17 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, black drum, sheepshead on Back Sound.
Channel in Back Sound St. 80+00 - 157+68.9 channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For red drum (redfish), 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.
Fishing on Back Sound is regulated by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Check the official North Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Bogue Sound 19 mi · Pamlico Sound 56 mi · Lake Mattamuskeet 61 mi · Masonboro Inlet 78 mi · Northeast Cape Fear River 84 mi, NC/SC · Cape Fear River - Reach 2 of 2 91 mi, NC/SC · Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 98 mi, NC/SC · Lake Waccamaw 114 mi · Shallotte River 115 mi, NC/SC · Shallotte Inlet 116 mi · North River 116 mi, NC/VA · Currituck Sound 121 mi, NC/VA
See how Back Sound stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in North Carolina · best spotted seatrout lakes in North Carolina · best southern flounder lakes in North Carolina · best sheepshead lakes in North Carolina
Browse all North Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 85% measured, 15% source-interpolated). How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.