Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
19,811-acre bay near Pensacola. The water tops out around 13 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct 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.
Drawn out, this is 19,274 acres of water rimmed by 58.5 miles of bank — 7 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Call it 10.3 mi long by 6 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Escambia County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: North Escambia Bay, 3 mi northwest of here.
In spring, red drum (redfish) run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 12 ft before dropping to 3 to 13 ft for winter. Spring red drum (redfish) concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 2 to 13 ft | dawn & midday | Escambia River inflow (1 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Come spring, look for spotted seatrout tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: southern flounder in 2 to 13 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 13 ft through summer, 4 to 13 ft in winter. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for southern flounder in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 13 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (4 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 2 to 13 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (4 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Spring puts sheepshead in skinny water — 3 to 13 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 13 ft. Dock / pier line is the standout, a dock line at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for summer sheepshead. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A small jig + crab piece covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (2 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (2 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday | Dock / pier line (2 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Escambia Bay carries 22 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 13 ft down.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Escambia Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Escambia Bay is about 13 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, sheepshead on Escambia Bay.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for spotted seatrout in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For red drum (redfish), 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 Escambia Bay is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater). Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
North Escambia Bay 3 mi · South Escambia Bay 3 mi · North Pensacola Bay 7 mi · Pensacola Bay 9 mi · Middle Pensacola Bay 10 mi · East Bay 11 mi · Pensacola Bay Mouth 14 mi · Santa Rosa Sound 18 mi · Perdido Bay 19 mi, AL/FL · Wolf Bay 30 mi, AL · Bear Lake 30 mi · Perdido Pass 30 mi, AL
See how Escambia Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best southern flounder lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). 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.