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665-acre Beach Channel fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (82.01% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 68 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 rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Beach Channel draws 665 acres inside 8.7 miles of shoreline — one island included. With a shoreline index of 2.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 7% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.8 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. For a second option, East Broad Channel lies 2 mi northeast.
When the water first warms, striped bass slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 34 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluefish sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 29 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (29 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
When the water first warms, summer flounder (fluke) slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is an 8 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 60 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 34 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. Keep a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
When the water first warms, black sea bass slide up into 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 68 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Dangerous NOAA charted wreck: a wreck around 29 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Keep a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (29 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (29 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 17 to 68 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (29 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 20 to 68 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (29 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Spring puts tautog (blackfish) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 35 ft, wintering in 20 to 68 ft. Spring tautog (blackfish) concentrate at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a prime-rated wreck around 17 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (29 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (29 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 20 to 68 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (29 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Structure-wise the chart holds 16 features, led in depth by Dangerous NOAA charted wreck at roughly 34 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 Beach Channel specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Beach Channel is about 68 ft (21 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) on Beach Channel.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 34 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Beach 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.
East Broad Channel 2 mi · Island Channel 2 mi · Winhole Channel 2 mi · Grass Hassock Channel 3 mi · Grassy Bay 4 mi · East Rockaway Inlet 4 mi · Sheepshead Bay 6 mi · Rockaway Inlet 6 mi · Prospect Park Lake 8 mi · Coney Island Channel 9 mi · Hewlett Bay 9 mi · Gravesend Bay 9 mi
See how Beach Channel stacks up: best striped bass lakes in New York · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in New York · best bluefish lakes in New York · best black sea bass lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 82% measured, 18% 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.