Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
376-acre Clinton Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.47% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 14 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.
The drawn water covers 376 acres wrapped in 3.7 miles of bank. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 1.1 mi, about 0.7 mi across. If the bite dies, Duck Island Roads is 2 mi to the east.
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 4 to 14 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 14 ft, and they winter in 4 to 14 ft. Summer striped bass concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a good-rated drop-off around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Come spring, look for bluefish tight to the bank in 2 to 14 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 14 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 5 ft that scores good in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 2 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 2 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: summer flounder (fluke) in 3 to 14 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 14 ft through summer, 4 to 14 ft in winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 3 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
In spring, black sea bass run shallow here, mostly 4 to 14 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 14 ft, and they winter in 4 to 14 ft. Spring black sea bass concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 7 ft. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Early season tautog (blackfish) use the shallows, holding in 3 to 14 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 14 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 14 ft. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 3 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Spring puts scup (porgy) in skinny water — 3 to 14 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 14 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 14 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring scup (porgy). Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. A hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 2 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 3 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 3 to 14 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Clinton Harbor also holds winter flounder (4 to 14 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 13 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Wheeler Rock, sits near 12 ft.
Access data: Town of Clinton — Town Marina. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Connecticut waters are set by the Connecticut DEEP (marine fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Clinton Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Clinton Harbor is about 14 ft (4 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), scup (porgy), winter flounder on Clinton Harbor. The list combines the water's survey records with habitat-filtered species from broader official evidence; those additions are plausible occurrences, not exact-water abundance or guaranteed catches.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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 Clinton Harbor is regulated by the Connecticut DEEP (marine fishing). Check the official Connecticut regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Duck Island Roads 2 mi · Messerschmidt Pond 6 mi · Guilford Harbor 7 mi · Cedar Lake 10 mi · Pataconk Reservoir 11 mi · Hamburg Cove 12 mi · Quonnipaug Lake 13 mi · Chapman Pond 13 mi · Uncas Lake 14 mi · Rogers Lake 14 mi · Orient Harbor 14 mi, NY · Pipes Cove 14 mi, NY
See how Clinton Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Connecticut · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Connecticut · best winter flounder lakes in Connecticut · best bluefish lakes in Connecticut
Browse all Connecticut fishing maps. 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.