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14,475-acre Card Sound section with quality-assured NOAA lidar contours, NPS-documented target fish, mapped seagrass and oyster habitat, charted structure, and four verified connected public access sites. The water tops out around 18 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Card Sound runs 14,514 acres with 47.5 miles of edge, broken up by 30 islands. With a shoreline index of 2.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Tip to tip the water measures near 9.7 mi with a 5.5-mi widest point. For a second option, South-Central Mid-Bay Biscayne Bay lies 10 mi north.
Spring puts red drum (redfish) in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 15 ft. 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge is the standout, a seagrass edge at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring red drum (redfish). Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (2 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (2 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
When the water first warms, spotted seatrout slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 18 ft one. Start at 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge. It's a seagrass edge holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (7 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (7 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
In spring, snook run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 15 ft. 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge is the standout, a seagrass edge at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring snook. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (2 ft) | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (7 ft) | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (2 ft) | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
In spring, sheepshead run shallow here, mostly 4 to 18 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 15 ft, and they winter in 5 to 18 ft. Spring sheepshead concentrate at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a prime-rated wreck around 9 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small jig + crab piece most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: gulf flounder in 2 to 14 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 18 ft before dropping to 5 to 18 ft for winter. The spot to know is 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge, a seagrass edge in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for gulf flounder in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (2 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (7 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 4 to 18 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | open water | Slow jig + scented grub |
When the water first warms, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) slide up into 2 to 18 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 18 ft, winter 3 to 18 ft. Start at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck. It's a wreck holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small bucktail or a paddletail rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge (2 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 2 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 18 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (9 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Card Sound also holds permit (2 to 18 ft in summer), gag grouper (3 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 39 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, sits near 12 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 Card Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Card Sound is about 18 ft (5 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 red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, snook, sheepshead, gulf flounder, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), permit, gag grouper on Card Sound.
2004 - 2015 continuous seagrass edge is the top-rated area: a seagrass edge in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for spotted seatrout in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For red drum (redfish), 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 Card Sound 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.
South-Central Mid-Bay Biscayne Bay 10 mi · South-Central Inshore Biscayne Bay 13 mi · South-Central Outer Biscayne Bay 14 mi · East Central Florida Bay 21 mi · North-Central Inshore Biscayne Bay 22 mi · North-Central Outer Biscayne Bay 27 mi · Lake Ida 81 mi · Newfound Harbor Channel 83 mi · Lake Osborne 88 mi · Lake Clarke 92 mi · Lake Trafford 105 mi · Gordon Pass 107 mi
See how Card Sound 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; 72% measured, 28% 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.