Salt water depth chart
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706-acre Grassy Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (90.3% measured, 99.62% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 48 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 follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 706 acres, worked by 4.5 miles of shoreline. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 11% of this chart. Call it 1.8 mi long by 1.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. Winhole Channel sits 2 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 14 to 48 ft, wintering in 14 to 48 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 16 ft range, good in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 14 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring bluefish on Grassy Bay hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 16 ft, good for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 14 to 48 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for summer summer flounder (fluke). Time it for midday and early morning. You won't need more than a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black sea bass in 10 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 12 to 48 ft, wintering in 14 to 48 ft. Top water on the chart: Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in the 33 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for midday and early morning. Summer baits: a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 12 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 12 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Come spring, look for tautog (blackfish) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 48 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Dangerous NOAA charted wreck: a wreck around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Start shallow in spring: scup (porgy) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 48 ft. The spot to know is Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for scup (porgy) in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. Throw a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 12 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (33 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Grassy Bay also holds winter flounder (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 12 structure features on Grassy Bay; the deepest is Surveyed channel edge at about 35 ft.
Access data: NYC Parks — Jamaica Bay public small-boat launches. 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 Grassy Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Grassy Bay is about 48 ft (15 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), scup (porgy), winter flounder on Grassy Bay. 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.
Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the top-rated area: a wreck in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for tautog (blackfish) in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Grassy 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.
Winhole Channel 2 mi · East Broad Channel 2 mi · Grass Hassock Channel 3 mi · Beach Channel 4 mi · Island Channel 5 mi · East Rockaway Inlet 5 mi · Hewlett Bay 7 mi · Kissena Lake 8 mi · Sheepshead Bay 8 mi · Prospect Park Lake 8 mi · Reynolds Channel 9 mi · Rockaway Inlet 9 mi
See how Grassy 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. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 90% measured, 9% 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.