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298-acre Grass Hassock Channel fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (89.3% measured, 99.07% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 60 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Grass Hassock Channel draws 298 acres inside 6.2 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. A development index of 2.6 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 32% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.1 mi with a 1.1-mi widest point. For a second option, Winhole Channel lies 1 mi northwest.
Come spring, look for striped bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluefish in 3 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for bluefish in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (6 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (6 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Come spring, look for summer flounder (fluke) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 8 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 30 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is midday and early morning. A bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Come spring, look for black sea bass tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 18 to 60 ft. Start at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck. It's a wreck holding about 38 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in midday and early morning. A bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (38 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (50 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 15 to 60 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (50 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 18 to 60 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (50 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
In spring, tautog (blackfish) run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 18 to 60 ft. Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the standout, a wreck at roughly 50 ft, rated prime for fall tautog (blackfish). Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (38 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (50 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 18 to 60 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (50 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, around 50 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 Grass Hassock Channel specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Grass Hassock Channel is about 60 ft (18 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 Grass Hassock Channel.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Grass Hassock Channel 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.
Winhole Channel 1 mi · East Broad Channel 2 mi · East Rockaway Inlet 2 mi · Grassy Bay 3 mi · Beach Channel 3 mi · Island Channel 5 mi · Hewlett Bay 6 mi · Reynolds Channel 7 mi · Sheepshead Bay 8 mi · Rockaway Inlet 9 mi · Hempstead Lake 9 mi · Middle Bay 9 mi
See how Grass Hassock Channel 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; 89% measured, 10% 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.