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36-acre Crescent Bay fishing map near Sitka with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (93.22% measured, 96.61% assessed), exact ADF&G harvest evidence, measured fishing spots and verified public access. The water tops out around 63 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 rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Crescent Bay runs 36 acres with 1.6 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 36% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.4 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. The nearest mapped water is Silver Bay, 5 mi to the east.
In spring, chinook salmon run shallow here, mostly 5 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 19 to 63 ft before dropping to 19 to 63 ft for winter. Spring chinook salmon concentrate at Crescent Bay channel edge, a prime-rated channel edge around 13 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 19 to 63 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 19 to 63 ft | midday | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: coho salmon in 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 19 to 63 ft before dropping to 20 to 60 ft for winter. The spot to know is Crescent Bay channel edge, a channel edge in about 13 ft of water that rates good for coho salmon in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 19 to 63 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (20 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Come spring, look for pink salmon tight to the bank in 8 to 60 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 63 ft, then a winter hold in 14 to 63 ft. Start at Crescent Bay channel edge. It's a channel edge holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A pink or orange casting spoon or a small hoochie is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Small chrome spoon, Compact herring-pattern jig |
| Summer | 3 to 63 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Pink or orange casting spoon, Small hoochie |
| Fall | 2 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Small bright spoon, Pink jig |
| Winter | 14 to 63 ft | midday | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Small vertical jig |
Come spring, look for dolly varden tight to the bank in 1 to 30 ft. They move out to 2 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Crescent Bay channel edge: a channel edge around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small chrome spoon or a baitfish streamer is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Small silver spoon, Inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Small chrome spoon, Baitfish streamer |
| Fall | 1 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small spinner, Egg or fry pattern |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Small slow spoon, Weighted baitfish fly |
Spring pacific halibut on Crescent Bay hold shallow, usually 14 to 63 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 7 to 63 ft in summer, 16 to 63 ft once it turns cold. Put Crescent Bay channel edge first on the milk run — a channel edge near 13 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. The summer box starts with a heavy vertical jig or a large swimbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 14 to 63 ft | dawn | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Heavy glow jig, Large grub on lead head |
| Summer | 7 to 63 ft | midday & dawn | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Heavy vertical jig, Large swimbait |
| Fall | 10 to 63 ft | midday | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Heavy glow jig, Large grub |
| Winter | 16 to 63 ft | midday | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Heavy slow-pitch jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lingcod in 11 to 63 ft. The depth story barely changes: 7 to 63 ft through summer, 16 to 63 ft in winter. The spot to know is Crescent Bay channel edge, a channel edge in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for lingcod in fall. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy swimbait or a metal jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 11 to 63 ft | dawn | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Summer | 7 to 63 ft | midday & dawn | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Fall | 9 to 63 ft | midday | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large swimbait |
| Winter | 16 to 63 ft | midday | Crescent Bay channel edge (13 ft) | Heavy slow-pitch jig |
8 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 22 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Crescent Harbor access map and City and Borough of Sitka harbor code. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alaska waters are set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (Southeast sport fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Crescent Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Crescent Bay is about 63 ft (19 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 chinook salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, dolly varden, pacific halibut, lingcod on Crescent Bay.
Crescent Bay channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for pacific halibut in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For chinook salmon, 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 Crescent Bay is regulated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (Southeast sport fishing). Check the official Alaska regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Silver Bay 5 mi · Hoonah Harbor 74 mi · Wrangell Harbor 119 mi · Little Trapper Lake 141 mi, BC · Tatsamenie Lake 141 mi, BC · Tatsatua Lake 145 mi, BC · King Salmon Lake 146 mi, BC · Yehiniko Lake 154 mi, BC · Camp Island Lake 158 mi, BC · Simpson Lake 163 mi, BC · Mess Lake 169 mi, BC · Victoria Lake 171 mi, BC
See how Crescent Bay stacks up: best chinook salmon lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska · best pink salmon lakes in Alaska · best pacific halibut lakes in Alaska
Browse all Alaska fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 93% measured, 3% 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.