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.
4,126-acre Cobscook Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.45% measured, 99.93% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 149 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Drawn out, this is 4,118 acres of water rimmed by 16 miles of bank — 2 islands included. Index 1.8 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. 7% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 4 mi, about 2.8 mi across. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: East Bay, 3 mi northwest of here.
Spring striped bass on Cobscook Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. The chart's best answer is Shoreline point — point, 7 ft, good for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (40 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (40 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring puts bluefish in skinny water — 3 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Shoreline point is the standout, a point at roughly 7 ft, rated good for spring bluefish. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Early season atlantic mackerel use the shallows, holding in 5 to 45 ft. Summer is a 15 to 80 ft game here, winter a 30 to 120 ft one. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 72 ft, good for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a feather rig or a small vertical jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (72 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (40 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (72 ft) | Small deep jig |
Come spring, look for atlantic cod tight to the bank in 20 to 100 ft. They move out to 37 to 149 ft in summer and finish the year down in 34 to 149 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 33 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig 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 | 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (33 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 37 to 149 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (43 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (33 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 34 to 149 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (33 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
In spring, atlantic herring run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 50 ft before dropping to 20 to 60 ft for winter. Spring atlantic herring concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 13 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a herring feather rig or a small silver jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (40 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (40 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (40 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
When the water first warms, winter flounder slide up into 2 to 18 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 13 ft that scores good in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a light scented jig worked slowly rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | open water | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | midday | open water | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
Structure-wise the chart holds 23 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 90 ft.
Access data: Maine GeoLibrary — Boat Launches (Maine IF&W / DACF). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maine waters are set by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Cobscook Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Cobscook Bay is about 149 ft (45 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, atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod, atlantic herring, winter flounder on Cobscook Bay. 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 33 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Cobscook Bay is regulated by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing). Check the official Maine regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
East Bay 3 mi · Harris Cove 4 mi · Johnson Bay 5 mi · Lake Glensevern 8 mi, NB · Boyden Lake 8 mi · Pennamaquan Lake 10 mi · Rocky Lake 12 mi · Round Pond 12 mi · Gardner Lake 15 mi · Little Lake 16 mi, NB · Wilson Pond 16 mi, NB · Eel Lake 16 mi, NB
See how Cobscook Bay stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Maine · best winter flounder lakes in Maine · best bluefish lakes in Maine · best atlantic herring lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 99% measured, 0% 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.