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198-acre Black Rock Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (97.91% measured, 100% assessed), 18 measured fishing spots, one assessed-only context feature, Long Island Sound fish and forage evidence, verified access, impairment context and current Connecticut rules. The water tops out around 20 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.
Black Rock Harbor maps at 197 acres behind 2.8 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Roughly 87% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.8 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. Frash Pond sits 5 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer keeps them at 6 to 20 ft, and they winter in 6 to 20 ft. Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for summer striped bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (14 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Come spring, look for bluefish tight to the bank in 3 to 20 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 20 ft; the winter hold is 6 to 20 ft. Start at NOAA charted groin. It's a jetty / riprap holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted groin (4 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 2 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (14 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: summer flounder (fluke) in 4 to 20 ft. The depth story barely changes: 5 to 20 ft through summer, 6 to 20 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge, a channel edge in the 16 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for midday and early morning. Summer baits: a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge (16 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
In spring, black sea bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 20 ft, and they winter in 6 to 20 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring black sea bass. Time it for midday and early morning. You won't need more than a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Early season tautog (blackfish) use the shallows, holding in 4 to 20 ft. Even in summer they hold at 6 to 20 ft; winter keeps them in 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 4 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Black Rock Harbor carries 19 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Black Rock Harbor and Cedar Creek channel edge, about 18 ft down.
Access data: Connecticut DEEP Coastal Access Guide — Saint Mary's by the Sea. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Connecticut waters are set by the Connecticut DEEP (marine fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Black Rock Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Black Rock Harbor is about 20 ft (6 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 Black Rock Harbor.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. 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 Black Rock Harbor is regulated by the Connecticut DEEP (marine fishing). Check the official Connecticut regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Frash Pond 5 mi · Saugatuck River 8 mi, CT/NY · Cockenoe Harbor 9 mi · Milford Harbor 10 mi · Norwalk Harbor 10 mi · Saugatuck Reservoir 11 mi · Sheffield Island Harbor 12 mi · Smithtown Bay 15 mi, NY · Port Jefferson Harbor 15 mi, NY · Lake Housatonic 15 mi · Setauket Harbor 15 mi, NY · Maltby Lake #3 16 mi
See how Black Rock Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Connecticut · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Connecticut · best bluefish lakes in Connecticut · best black sea bass lakes in Connecticut
Browse all Connecticut fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 98% measured, 2% 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.