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522-acre Bay Ridge Channel fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 51 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 522 acres, worked by 5.8 miles of shoreline. With a 1.8 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 0% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 2.6 mi, about 0.5 mi across. Its nearest charted neighbour, Red Hook Channel, is 2 mi to the north.
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 51 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge, a channel edge in the 42 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 15 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (42 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (22 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (42 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Early season bluefish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 20 ft. Summer is a 5 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge — channel edge, 22 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (22 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (22 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (28 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (37 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring puts summer flounder (fluke) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 51 ft. BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for summer summer flounder (fluke). Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. A bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (22 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (22 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (42 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 15 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (42 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Start shallow in spring: black sea bass sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 13 to 51 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 51 ft. Top water on the chart: BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge, a channel edge in the 42 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (37 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 13 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (42 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 13 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (42 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 15 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | open water | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
When the water first warms, tautog (blackfish) slide up into 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 51 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted pier: a dock line around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (42 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 15 to 51 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | open water | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: scup (porgy) in 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 35 ft before dropping to 12 to 50 ft for winter. The spot to know is BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge, a channel edge in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for scup (porgy) in summer. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (22 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | midday | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (37 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 12 to 50 ft | midday | BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge (42 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Bay Ridge Channel also holds winter flounder (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 33 features, led in depth by BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge at roughly 46 ft.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC (saltwater fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Bay Ridge Channel specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Bay Ridge Channel is about 51 ft (16 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, summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass, tautog (blackfish), scup (porgy), winter flounder on Bay Ridge Channel. The list combines the water's survey records with habitat-filtered species from broader official evidence; those additions are plausible occurrences, not exact-water abundance or guaranteed catches.
BAY RIDGE AND RED HOOK CHANNELS channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Bay Ridge Channel is regulated by the New York DEC (saltwater fishing). Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Red Hook Channel 2 mi · Pierhead Channel 2 mi · Buttermilk Channel 3 mi · Prospect Park Lake 3 mi · Gravesend Bay 4 mi · Coney Island Channel 6 mi · Sheepshead Bay 7 mi · Rockaway Inlet 8 mi · Lower Bay 8 mi · Island Channel 9 mi · Weequahic Lake 10 mi, NJ · Beach Channel 11 mi
See how Bay Ridge Channel stacks up: best striped bass lakes in New York · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in New York · best winter flounder lakes in New York · best bluefish lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps. 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.