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.
1,048-acre Duck Island Roads fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (97.93% measured, 99.35% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 43 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.
Drawn out, this is 1,046 acres of water rimmed by 6.1 miles of bank. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 78% of this chart. Figure 2.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.1 mi at the beam. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Clinton Harbor, 2 mi west of here.
When the water first warms, striped bass slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 13 to 43 ft, and by winter most fish are in 13 to 43 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 13 ft that scores good in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig rigged through the warm months.
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 (13 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Start shallow in spring: bluefish sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 13 ft range, good in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
When the water first warms, summer flounder (fluke) slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is an 8 to 35 ft game here, winter a 13 to 43 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. Keep a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead rigged through the warm months.
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 (13 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 11 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
When the water first warms, black sea bass slide up into 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 11 to 43 ft, and by winter most fish are in 13 to 43 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Keep a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser rigged through the warm months.
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 | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 11 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 11 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Spring puts tautog (blackfish) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 35 ft, wintering in 13 to 43 ft. Spring tautog (blackfish) concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 10 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab 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 | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 9 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Come spring, look for scup (porgy) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 43 ft. Start at NOAA charted underwater rock. It's a rock pile holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in midday and early morning. A hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal 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 | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 10 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Duck Island Roads also holds winter flounder (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 12 structure features on Duck Island Roads; the deepest is Surveyed channel edge at about 31 ft.
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 Duck Island Roads specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Duck Island Roads is about 43 ft (13 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 Duck Island Roads. 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 10 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated 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 Duck Island Roads 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.
Clinton Harbor 2 mi · Messerschmidt Pond 5 mi · Cedar Lake 10 mi · Guilford Harbor 10 mi · Hamburg Cove 10 mi · Pataconk Reservoir 10 mi · Uncas Lake 12 mi · Rogers Lake 12 mi · Chapman Pond 12 mi · Orient Harbor 13 mi, NY · Norwich Pond 13 mi · Pipes Cove 13 mi, NY
See how Duck Island Roads 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; 98% 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.