Salt water depth chart
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1,101-acre Flanders Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo shallow-water contours (99.72% measured, 99.74% assessed), exact Peconic fish and forage evidence, measured pier, hard-bottom and channel spots, three connected public access options, three forage calendars and current marine rules. The water tops out around 15 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 rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 1,099 acres wrapped in 11 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. With a shoreline index of 2.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The basin spans about 2.5 mi end to end and 1.9 mi across at its widest. If the bite dies, Peconic River is 1 mi to the west.
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. Peconic River channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for summer striped bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (6 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 2 to 15 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 15 ft, winter 5 to 15 ft. Start at Peconic River channel edge. It's a channel edge holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come summer. 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 | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (6 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Start shallow in spring: summer flounder (fluke) sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 15 ft covers summer, 5 to 15 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Peconic River channel edge, a channel edge in the 7 ft range, prime 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 | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Spring puts winter flounder in skinny water — 2 to 15 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 15 ft. Spring winter flounder concentrate at Peconic River channel edge, a prime-rated channel edge around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A light scented jig worked slowly covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 2 to 15 ft | midday | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
In spring, scup (porgy) run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 15 ft, and they winter in 4 to 15 ft. Summer scup (porgy) concentrate at NOAA charted pier, a prime-rated dock line around 4 ft. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 3 to 15 ft | midday | NOAA charted hard seabed (6 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Early season weakfish use the shallows, holding in 2 to 15 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 15 ft; winter keeps them in 5 to 15 ft. Put Peconic River channel edge first on the milk run — a channel edge near 7 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a 3–5 inch paddletail or a light bucktail and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Small bucktail + strip, 3-inch paddletail |
| Summer | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | 3-5 inch paddletail, Light bucktail |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Bucktail + soft-plastic trailer, Small paddletail |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Peconic River channel edge (7 ft) | Small jig worked slowly near bottom |
Flanders Bay also holds tautog (blackfish) (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 17 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Peconic River channel edge, sits near 9 ft.
Access data: NYSDEC Marine Fishing Access inventory (OBJECTID 272; ID 284), Suffolk County Parks and Peconic Estuary Partnership. 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 Flanders Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Flanders Bay is about 15 ft (5 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), winter flounder, scup (porgy), weakfish, tautog (blackfish) on Flanders Bay.
Peconic River channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for weakfish in summer. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Flanders Bay 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.
Peconic River 1 mi, NY/CT · Wildwood Lake 4 mi · Laurel Lake 5 mi · Great Peconic Bay 5 mi · Marratooka Lake 7 mi · Shinnecock Bay 8 mi · Shinnecock Inlet 9 mi · Cutchogue Harbor 9 mi · Deep Pond 12 mi · Pipes Cove 17 mi · Fresh Pond (Shelter Island) 17 mi · Artist Lake 17 mi
See how Flanders Bay stacks up: best striped bass lakes in New York · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in New York · best winter flounder lakes in New York · best bluefish lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or 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.