Salt water depth chart
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116,106-acre Bantry Bay. Outer South saltwater fishing map with official INFOMAR survey bathymetry, measured-cell fishing spots, official fish evidence, seasonal forage guidance, access context and current-rule links. The outer south trip-scale survey reach of Bantry Bay, retaining only official survey-backed seabed cells that pass the Ireland release gates. The water tops out around 368 ft. The depth chart comes from INFOMAR (Geological Survey Ireland and Marine Institute) bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Bantry Bay - Outer South draws 115,889 acres inside 74.5 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. Index 1.6 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 0% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 16.4 mi, about 16.2 mi across. The nearest mapped water is Bantry Bay - Middle South, 13 mi to the east.
Marine Institute spawning, nursery, observation and range layers support the principal surveyed pelagic and groundfish. IFI's national and regional sea-angling publications support additional habitat-compatible recreational targets. This is occurrence and search guidance, not equal abundance, a section-level population estimate or a promised catch. The roster may combine exact-water monitoring with habitat-filtered official regional evidence; it does not imply that every species is equally abundant throughout the mapped section.
| Species | Evidence basis | Count / date |
|---|---|---|
| Mackerel (Atlantic Mackerel) | official species listing | — |
| Pollack (Atlantic Pollock) | official species listing | — |
| Coalfish (Saithe (Coalfish)) | official species listing | — |
| Haddock (Haddock) | official species listing | — |
| Whiting (Whiting) | official species listing | — |
| Cod (Atlantic Cod) | official species listing | — |
| Plaice (European Plaice) | official species listing | — |
| Flounder (European Flounder) | official species listing | — |
| Thornback ray (Thornback Ray) | official species listing | — |
| Brill (Brill) | official species listing | — |
| Ling (Ling) | official species listing | — |
| Bass (European Seabass) | official species listing | — |
| Garfish (Garfish) | official species listing | — |
Official species-evidence source.
Spring atlantic mackerel on Bantry Bay - Outer South hold shallow, usually 5 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 80 ft, and by winter most fish are in 30 to 120 ft. The chart's best answer is Sharp break — drop-off, 44 ft, good for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a feather rig or a small vertical jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (44 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (44 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (44 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Sharp break (44 ft) | Small deep jig |
When the water first warms, atlantic pollock slide up into 8 to 100 ft. By summer they slide out to 12 to 150 ft, and by winter most fish are in 35 to 220 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shoreline point: a point around 143 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a surface plug or a baitfish swimbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 100 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (44 ft) | Sandeel-pattern lure, Soft-plastic shad |
| Summer | 12 to 150 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (143 ft) | Surface plug, Baitfish swimbait |
| Fall | 15 to 160 ft | dawn | Shoreline point (143 ft) | Metal jig, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 35 to 220 ft | midday | Sharp break (44 ft) | Slow metal jig, Weighted soft plastic |
Spring puts saithe (coalfish) in skinny water — 15 to 160 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 25 to 260 ft, wintering in 45 to 320 ft. Summer saithe (coalfish) concentrate at Sharp break, a prime-rated drop-off around 44 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A speed jig or a heavy paddletail covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 160 ft | dawn & dusk | INFOMAR measured current seam (163 ft) | Slim metal jig, Paddletail |
| Summer | 25 to 260 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (44 ft) | Speed jig, Heavy paddletail |
| Fall | 20 to 220 ft | dawn & dusk | INFOMAR measured current seam (163 ft) | Metal jig, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 45 to 320 ft | midday | Sharp break (44 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
In spring, haddock run shallow here, mostly 35 to 220 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 60 to 320 ft before dropping to 64 to 368 ft for winter. Winter haddock concentrate at Deepest basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 367 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a compact metal jig or a bottom rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 35 to 220 ft | dawn | INFOMAR measured flat (43 ft) | Small bottom jig, Beaded trace |
| Summer | 60 to 320 ft | dawn | Sharp break (44 ft) | Compact metal jig, Bottom rig |
| Fall | 45 to 260 ft | midday | INFOMAR measured flat (43 ft) | Small vertical jig |
| Winter | 64 to 368 ft | midday | Deepest basin (367 ft) | Deep bottom jig |
In spring, whiting run shallow here, mostly 15 to 55 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 20 to 70 ft before dropping to 15 to 70 ft for winter. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small vertical jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 20 to 70 ft | dawn | open water | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 60 ft | dusk | open water | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 15 to 70 ft | dusk | open water | Compact vertical jig |
When the water first warms, atlantic cod slide up into 20 to 100 ft. By summer they slide out to 45 to 180 ft, and by winter most fish are in 50 to 220 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 44 ft that scores good in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 20 to 100 ft | dawn | Sharp break (44 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 45 to 180 ft | dawn | Sharp break (44 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 25 to 140 ft | dawn | Sharp break (44 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 50 to 220 ft | midday | open water | Heavy vertical jig |
Bantry Bay - Outer South also holds european plaice (6 to 40 ft in summer), european flounder (6 to 35 ft in summer), thornback ray (10 to 65 ft in summer), brill (6 to 50 ft in summer), ling (61 to 368 ft in summer), european seabass (2 to 30 ft in summer), garfish (2 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 7 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest basin, sits near 367 ft.
The complete Marine Institute Fishing Ports layer returned no port point inside this operational section. DepthScout does not substitute a nearby road, beach or community slipway as verified public fishing access; confirm legal access, parking, tides and local restrictions before visiting.
Private land and private launches need the owner's permission — please ask first.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ireland waters are set by the Inland Fisheries Ireland (current sea-angling regulations) — and special regulations can apply to Bantry Bay - Outer South specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish. Check the current national and water-specific rules before every trip, including bass measures, the 2026 recreational pollack controls, salmon and sea-trout licences and river-specific status, protected areas, harbour directions, private land and local signs. A mapped fishing port or measured seabed feature is not permission to fish, park, launch or enter a working harbour.
Check the official Ireland fishing regulations →
Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (2026 salmon and sea-trout status) →
Check special-area and water-specific rules →
Check official shore-access information →
Bantry Bay - Outer South is about 368 ft (112 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from INFOMAR (Geological Survey Ireland and Marine Institute) bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Official coastal monitoring from Marine Institute and Inland Fisheries Ireland informs the atlantic mackerel, atlantic pollock, saithe (coalfish), haddock, whiting, atlantic cod, european plaice, european flounder, thornback ray, brill, ling, european seabass, garfish roster for Bantry Bay - Outer South. The mixed roster combines exact-water records where available with habitat-filtered regional evidence; not every species is documented at this exact water, and it is not a promise of equal abundance or a catch on a particular trip.
Shoreline point is the top-rated area: a point in about 143 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic pollock in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For atlantic mackerel, 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 Bantry Bay - Outer South is regulated by the Inland Fisheries Ireland (current sea-angling regulations). Check the official Ireland regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Bantry Bay - Middle South 13 mi · Kenmare Bay - Outer 15 mi · Roaringwater Bay - West 20 mi · Kenmare Bay - Middle 20 mi · Bantry Bay - Inner North 27 mi · Bantry Bay - Inner South 28 mi · Roaringwater Bay - Middle 30 mi · Dingle Bay - West South 35 mi · Roaringwater Bay - East 40 mi · Dingle Bay - Middle 44 mi · Dingle Bay - West North 48 mi · Clonakilty and Courtmacsherry Bays - Clonakilty 49 mi
See how Bantry Bay - Outer South stacks up: best european flounder lakes in Ireland · best garfish lakes in Ireland · best european seabass lakes in Ireland · best european plaice lakes in Ireland
Browse all Ireland fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: INFOMAR (Geological Survey Ireland and Marine Institute) INFOMAR All Survey bathymetry mosaic (Source-survey vertical references retained in the INFOMAR All Survey mosaic; 100% measured, 0% 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.