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4,178-acre Eastern Passage fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.98% measured, 99.98% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 338 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 season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Eastern Passage maps at 4,173 acres behind 11 miles of shoreline. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 2% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 3.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.6 mi at the beam. If the bite dies, Blue Hill Bay is 1 mi to the south.
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | open water | 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 15 to 40 ft. 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.
| 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) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic mackerel in 5 to 45 ft. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 80 ft, wintering in 30 to 120 ft. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a feather rig or a small vertical jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 30 to 120 ft | midday | open water | Small deep jig |
Start shallow in spring: atlantic cod sit in 20 to 100 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 45 to 180 ft; cold water stacks them in 50 to 220 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 20 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (20 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (20 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (20 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (20 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
When the water first warms, atlantic herring slide up into 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 50 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a herring feather rig or a small silver jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | open water | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
In spring, winter flounder run shallow here, mostly 2 to 18 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 3 to 20 ft for winter. Spring winter flounder concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a good-rated rock pile around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a light scented jig worked slowly most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | open water | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | midday | open water | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
13 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 237 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Maine GeoLibrary — Boat Launches (Maine IF&W / DACF). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maine waters are set by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Eastern Passage specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Eastern Passage is about 338 ft (103 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, atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod, atlantic herring, winter flounder on Eastern Passage. 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 20 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod 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 Eastern Passage is regulated by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing). Check the official Maine regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Blue Hill Bay 1 mi · Bass Harbor 3 mi · Casco Passage 3 mi · Bass Harbor Bar 4 mi · Mackerel Cove 4 mi · Southwest Harbor 6 mi · Goose Pond 6 mi · Naskeag Harbor 6 mi · Long Pond 7 mi · Jericho Bay 8 mi · Northeast Harbor 8 mi · Toothacher Bay 8 mi
See how Eastern Passage stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Maine · best winter flounder lakes in Maine · best bluefish lakes in Maine · best atlantic herring lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 100% measured, 0% 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.