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Fishing Chincoteague Bay: what the data says
72,637-acre bay near Berlin. The water tops out around 21 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings (depths referenced to low tide), so the channels, holes and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Summer Flounder (Fluke) fishing at Chincoteague Bay
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 4 to 21 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 21 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 21 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Summer baits: a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 5 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Striped Bass fishing at Chincoteague Bay
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 6 to 21 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Bluefish fishing at Chincoteague Bay
Start shallow in spring: bluefish sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 21 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Scarboro Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 2 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 4 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 21 ft | dawn & midday | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Red Drum (Redfish) fishing at Chincoteague Bay
In spring, red drum (redfish) run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 15 ft. Feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring red drum (redfish). 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spotted Seatrout fishing at Chincoteague Bay
Spring spotted seatrout on Chincoteague Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for spotted seatrout in spring. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
- Shallow flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Scarboro Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
- Assateague Channel inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Chincoteague Bay?
Chincoteague Bay is about 21 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys (charted soundings referenced to low tide), so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Chincoteague Bay?
Anglers target striped bass, red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, summer flounder (fluke), bluefish on Chincoteague Bay.
Where is the best fishing spot on Chincoteague Bay?
Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Chincoteague Bay?
For summer flounder (fluke), the summer bite is best in midday and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Isle of Wight Bay · Assawoman Bay · Loch Raven Reservoir · T. Howard Duckett Reservoir · Gunpowder Falls · Liberty Reservoir
Browse all Maryland fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.