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629-acre Bunces Pass fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.46% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, exact-polygon FWC fish occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 30 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.
Drawn out, this is 630 acres of water rimmed by 9.3 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.6) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 61% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.8 mi with a 0.8-mi widest point. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Pass A Grille Channel, 3 mi northwest of here.
Spring puts snook in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 15 ft. NOAA charted pier is the standout, a dock line at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for fall snook. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
Spring puts sheepshead in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 10 to 30 ft. Summer sheepshead concentrate at NOAA charted pier, a prime-rated dock line around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A small jig + crab piece covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pile (11 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (11 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (11 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Come spring, look for spotted seatrout tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 20 ft. Start at 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge. It's a seagrass edge holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge (19 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Come spring, look for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) tight to the bank in 3 to 22 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 30 ft. Start at NOAA charted pier. It's a dock line holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small bucktail or a paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 5 to 30 ft | midday | GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge (19 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Start shallow in spring: gulf flounder sit in 2 to 14 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge, a channel edge in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for gulf flounder in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge (10 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge (19 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 6 to 28 ft | midday & dusk | GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge (19 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge (19 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: gag grouper in 4 to 24 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge, a seagrass edge in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a deep-diving plug or a heavy paddletail gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Diving plug over grass potholes, Paddletail near rubble |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | 1751932800000 continuous seagrass edge (10 ft) | Deep-diving plug, Heavy paddletail |
| Fall | 6 to 30 ft | dawn | GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge (19 ft) | Deep-diving plug, Vertical jig |
| Winter | 8 to 30 ft | midday | open water | Heavy vertical jig |
Bunces Pass also holds red drum (redfish) (2 to 12 ft in summer), permit (3 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
56 pieces of structure are mapped here — GIWW CAL TO ANC (SUNSHINE SKYWAY CHANNEL) channel edge, around 19 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Bunces Pass specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Bunces Pass is about 30 ft (9 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 snook, sheepshead, spotted seatrout, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), gulf flounder, gag grouper, red drum (redfish), permit on Bunces Pass.
NOAA charted pier is the top-rated area: a dock line in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For snook, 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 Bunces Pass is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater). Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Pass A Grille Channel 3 mi · Lower Tampa Bay 5 mi · Boca Ciega Bay 6 mi · Terra Ceia Bay 10 mi · Manatee River Estuary 13 mi · Middle Tampa Bay 14 mi · Longboat Pass 15 mi · Manatee River 15 mi · North Sarasota Bay 15 mi · South Clearwater Harbor 20 mi · Old Tampa Bay 20 mi · Hillsborough Bay 23 mi
See how Bunces Pass stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida · best snook lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 99% measured, 1% 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.