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325-acre Buttermilk Channel fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (95.73% measured, 96.75% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 61 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Buttermilk Channel runs 325 acres with 6.3 miles of edge, with 3 islands in the mix. The 2.5 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 1% of this chart. Figure 1.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.7 mi at the beam. The nearest mapped water is Red Hook Channel, 1 mi to the south.
Early season striped bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 36 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (21 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (36 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (21 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (36 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
In spring, bluefish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 40 ft for winter. Summer bluefish concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 21 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (21 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (36 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring summer flounder (fluke) on Buttermilk Channel hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 8 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 21 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. The summer box starts with a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (21 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (21 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (36 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (36 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Early season black sea bass use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 18 to 61 ft. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 21 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Tie on a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (21 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (21 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 15 to 61 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (21 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 18 to 61 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (21 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Start shallow in spring: tautog (blackfish) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 18 to 61 ft. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 21 ft of water that rates prime for tautog (blackfish) in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (21 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (21 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (47 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 18 to 61 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (47 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Dangerous NOAA charted wreck at roughly 47 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 Buttermilk Channel specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Buttermilk Channel is about 61 ft (19 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 Buttermilk Channel.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 21 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 Buttermilk 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 1 mi · Bay Ridge Channel 3 mi · Pierhead Channel 3 mi · Prospect Park Lake 3 mi · Gravesend Bay 6 mi · Sheepshead Bay 8 mi · Coney Island Channel 8 mi · Island Channel 9 mi · Rockaway Inlet 10 mi · Rikers Island Channel 10 mi · Weequahic Lake 10 mi, NJ · Flushing Bay 10 mi
See how Buttermilk 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; 96% 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.