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1,833-acre Cockenoe Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (94.79% measured, 98.99% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 30 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 1,831 acres, worked by 20.5 miles of shoreline — 24 islands included. The 3.4 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 88% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 2.4 mi, about 2.3 mi across. Its nearest charted neighbour, Norwalk Harbor, is 1 mi to the west.
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 18 ft, rated good for summer striped bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Come spring, look for bluefish tight to the bank in 3 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 18 ft of water and rates good come summer. Prime time lands in 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 | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 9 to 30 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 5 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 7 to 30 ft, wintering in 9 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 18 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for midday and early morning. 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 | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 7 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
In spring, black sea bass run shallow here, mostly 8 to 30 ft. Summer keeps them at 8 to 30 ft, and they winter in 9 to 30 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring black sea bass. Time it for midday and early morning. 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 | 8 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Early season tautog (blackfish) use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 9 to 30 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 7 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 6 to 30 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 | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Spring puts scup (porgy) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 30 ft, wintering in 7 to 30 ft. Spring scup (porgy) concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. 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 | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 6 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 7 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Cockenoe Harbor also holds winter flounder (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
24 pieces of structure are mapped here — Shallow feeding flat, around 20 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Connecticut DEEP — State Boat Launches. 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 Cockenoe Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Cockenoe Harbor is about 30 ft (9 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 Cockenoe 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 9 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Cockenoe 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.
Norwalk Harbor 1 mi · Sheffield Island Harbor 3 mi · Saugatuck River 3 mi, CT/NY · Black Rock Harbor 9 mi · Stamford Harbor 9 mi · Huntington Bay 11 mi, NY · Greenwich Cove 11 mi · Northport Bay 11 mi, NY · Lloyd Harbor 12 mi, NY · Centerport Harbor 13 mi, NY · Saugatuck Reservoir 13 mi · Huntington Harbor 13 mi, NY
See how Cockenoe 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; 95% measured, 4% 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.