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227-acre Captiva Passage fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (93.06% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, exact-polygon FWC fish occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 40 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 228 acres wrapped in 3.1 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 72% of this chart. Call it 0.9 mi long by 0.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. Upper Pine Island Sound sits 3 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, snook slide up into 2 to 12 ft. Summer is a 3 to 15 ft game here, winter a 4 to 15 ft one. Start at 2021 continuous seagrass edge. It's a seagrass edge holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
Spring sheepshead on Captiva Passage hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 15 ft in summer, 10 to 30 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder first on the milk run — a gravel shoal near 21 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a small jig + crab piece.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (21 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (21 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | open water | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Spring puts permit in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 35 ft, wintering in 10 to 40 ft. Spring permit concentrate at NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, a prime-rated channel edge around 23 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and midday. A crab fly or a crab imitation covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (23 ft) | Small crab fly, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (23 ft) | Crab fly, Crab imitation |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (23 ft) | Crab imitation, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (23 ft) | Crab imitation worked deep |
Early season gulf flounder use the shallows, holding in 2 to 14 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 40 ft. Put NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break first on the milk run — a channel edge near 20 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (20 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 6 to 28 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (23 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (23 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub |
In spring, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) run shallow here, mostly 3 to 22 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 40 ft. NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for winter gray snapper (mangrove snapper). Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small bucktail or a paddletail most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (23 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 7 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (23 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Early season red drum (redfish) use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 12 ft game here, winter a 3 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is 2021 continuous seagrass edge — seagrass edge, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 continuous seagrass edge (6 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (21 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Captiva Passage also holds jack crevalle (3 to 35 ft in summer), gag grouper (6 to 35 ft in summer), spotted seatrout (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, sits near 23 ft.
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 Captiva Passage specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Captiva Passage is about 40 ft (12 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, permit, gulf flounder, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), red drum (redfish), jack crevalle, gag grouper, spotted seatrout on Captiva Passage.
NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for gulf flounder 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 Captiva Passage 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.
Upper Pine Island Sound 3 mi · Lower Pine Island Sound 8 mi · Matlacha Pass 10 mi · Gasparilla Pass 14 mi · San Carlos Bay 15 mi · Lemon Bay 24 mi · Estero Bay 26 mi · Blackburn Bay 42 mi · Gordon Pass 44 mi · Little Sarasota Bay 45 mi · Lake Trafford 47 mi · Roberts Bay 50 mi
See how Captiva Passage 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; 93% measured, 7% 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.