Salt water depth chart
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5,770-acre Booth Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (97.8% measured, 99.98% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 173 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.
The outline encloses 5,762 acres, worked by 28.4 miles of shoreline — 26 islands included. The 2.7 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 8% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 4.4 mi, about 2.9 mi across. Linekin Bay sits 2 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 25 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 50 ft. 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.
| 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 | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | open water | 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. 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 | open water | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | open water | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring puts atlantic mackerel in skinny water — 5 to 45 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 80 ft; cold water stacks them in 30 to 120 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 79 ft, rated good for summer atlantic mackerel. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A feather rig or a small vertical jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (79 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (79 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (79 ft) | Small deep jig |
Spring puts atlantic cod in skinny water — 20 to 100 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 43 to 173 ft, wintering in 39 to 173 ft. Spring atlantic cod concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 24 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig 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 | 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 43 to 173 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted rock (50 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (35 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 39 to 173 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (40 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Spring atlantic herring on Booth Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 15 to 50 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a herring feather rig or a small silver jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | open water | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: winter flounder in 2 to 18 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted pier, a dock line in the 11 ft range, good in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a light scented jig worked slowly gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (11 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (11 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (11 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | midday | open water | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
Structure-wise the chart holds 191 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 141 ft.
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 Booth Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Booth Bay is about 173 ft (53 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, winter flounder on Booth Bay. 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.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod 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 Booth Bay 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.
Linekin Bay 2 mi · Cape Harbor 3 mi · Lewis Cove 3 mi · Boothbay Harbor 3 mi · Ebenecook Harbor 4 mi · Damariscove Harbor 4 mi · Five Islands Harbor 5 mi · Harmon Harbor 5 mi · Robinhood Cove 6 mi · Knubble Bay 7 mi · Sheepscot Bay 7 mi · Sagadahoc Bay 8 mi
See how Booth Bay stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Maine · best winter flounder lakes in Maine · best bluefish lakes in Maine · best atlantic herring lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps. 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.