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280-acre Bass Harbor Bar fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 45 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 279 acres of water rimmed by 3.1 miles of bank. At index 1.3 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 23% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 1.1 mi, about 0.5 mi across. For a second option, Bass Harbor lies 1 mi northwest.
Early season striped bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is a 14 to 45 ft game here, winter a 14 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 16 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
In spring, bluefish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 40 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for summer bluefish. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring atlantic mackerel on Bass Harbor Bar hold shallow, usually 5 to 45 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 8 to 45 ft in summer, 11 to 45 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 16 ft, prime 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 | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 8 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 7 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 11 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Small deep jig |
When the water first warms, atlantic cod slide up into 9 to 45 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 11 to 45 ft, winter 10 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 11 ft that scores prime 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 | 9 to 45 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 11 to 45 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 8 to 45 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 10 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Spring puts atlantic herring in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 14 to 45 ft, wintering in 14 to 45 ft. Summer atlantic herring concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 16 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A herring feather rig or a small silver jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
10 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 36 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Maine GeoLibrary — Boat Launches (Maine IF&W / DACF). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maine waters are set by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Bass Harbor Bar specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Bass Harbor Bar is about 45 ft (14 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 striped bass, bluefish, atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod, atlantic herring on Bass Harbor Bar.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For striped 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.
Fishing on Bass Harbor Bar is regulated by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing). Check the official Maine regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Bass Harbor 1 mi · Blue Hill Bay 3 mi · Eastern Passage 4 mi · Southwest Harbor 4 mi · Cranberry Harbor 5 mi · Mackerel Cove 5 mi · Casco Passage 6 mi · Gilley Thorofare 6 mi · Goose Pond 6 mi · Northeast Harbor 6 mi · Long Pond 7 mi · Long Pond 8 mi
See how Bass Harbor Bar stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Maine · best bluefish lakes in Maine · best atlantic herring lakes in Maine · best atlantic mackerel lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 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.