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11,413-acre East Passage fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (92.24% measured, 98.95% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 200 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 25 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 50 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 162 ft, rated good for summer striped bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (162 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | open water | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 3 to 20 ft. Summer is a 5 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 40 ft one. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | 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 | open water | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Start shallow in spring: summer flounder (fluke) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 162 ft range, good in summer. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (162 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (162 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (162 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | open water | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Spring puts black sea bass in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 40 to 100 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 36 ft, rated prime for spring black sea bass. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. A bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (36 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (36 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (36 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (43 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Spring tautog (blackfish) on East Passage hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 30 to 70 ft. The chart's best answer is Dangerous NOAA charted wreck — wreck, 25 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (25 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (25 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (25 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (36 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
East Passage carries 149 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at NOAA charted wreck, about 161 ft down.
Access data: Rhode Island DEM — Fishing and Boating Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Rhode Island waters are set by the Rhode Island DEM Marine Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to East Passage specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Rhode Island fishing regulations →
East Passage is about 200 ft (61 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) on East Passage.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 36 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 East Passage is regulated by the Rhode Island DEM Marine Fisheries. Check the official Rhode Island regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Coddington Cove 2 mi · Brenton Cove 3 mi · West Passage 3 mi · Almy Pond 4 mi · Easton Bay 4 mi · Sachuest Bay 5 mi · Indian Lake 6 mi · Silver Spring Lake 7 mi · Sakonnet River 7 mi · Belleville Pond 8 mi · Point Judith Pond 11 mi · Barber Pond 11 mi
See how East Passage stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Rhode Island · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Rhode Island · best bluefish lakes in Rhode Island · best black sea bass lakes in Rhode Island
Browse all Rhode Island fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 92% measured, 7% 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.