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431-acre East Rockaway Inlet fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (97.86% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 41 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 431 acres wrapped in 5.6 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.9) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 63% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 2.1 mi end to end and 0.9 mi across at its widest. If the bite dies, Grass Hassock Channel is 2 mi to the northwest.
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 12 to 41 ft, wintering in 12 to 41 ft. Summer striped bass concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 15 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 12 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 15 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Start shallow in spring: summer flounder (fluke) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 41 ft. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. 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 (15 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 11 to 41 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Spring puts black sea bass in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 41 ft, wintering in 12 to 41 ft. Spring black sea bass concentrate at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a prime-rated wreck around 18 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. 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 | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (18 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 10 to 41 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (18 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 10 to 41 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (18 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (18 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Spring tautog (blackfish) on East Rockaway Inlet hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 41 ft. Put Dangerous NOAA charted wreck first on the milk run — a wreck near 18 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run 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 (18 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (18 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 8 to 41 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (18 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (18 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 20 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC (saltwater fishing) — and special regulations can apply to East Rockaway Inlet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
East Rockaway Inlet is about 41 ft (12 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 Rockaway Inlet.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. 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 East Rockaway Inlet is regulated by the New York DEC (saltwater fishing). Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Grass Hassock Channel 2 mi · East Broad Channel 3 mi · Winhole Channel 3 mi · Beach Channel 4 mi · Grassy Bay 5 mi · Hewlett Bay 5 mi · Reynolds Channel 5 mi · Island Channel 6 mi · Middle Bay 8 mi · Hempstead Lake 9 mi · Jones Inlet 9 mi · Rockaway Inlet 10 mi
See how East Rockaway Inlet stacks up: best striped bass lakes in New York · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in New York · best bluefish lakes in New York · best black sea bass lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 98% measured, 2% 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.