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503-acre Gravesend Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (68.05% measured, 99.87% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 41 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:
Gravesend Bay maps at 502 acres behind 4.7 miles of shoreline. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. About 6% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 1.9 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. Coney Island Channel sits 2 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 12 to 41 ft before dropping to 12 to 41 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 12 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Spring bluefish on Gravesend Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. They move out to 5 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 40 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 16 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run 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 | Shallow feeding flat (18 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 | Shallow feeding flat (18 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 35 ft before dropping to 12 to 41 ft for winter. Summer summer flounder (fluke) concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 16 ft. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead most summer days.
| 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 | 11 to 41 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 12 to 41 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. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 41 ft before dropping to 12 to 41 ft for winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 10 to 41 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 10 to 41 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Come spring, look for tautog (blackfish) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 41 ft. Start at NOAA charted underwater rock. It's a rock pile holding about 24 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (26 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 8 to 41 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (26 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 12 to 41 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (26 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Gravesend Bay carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 38 ft down.
Access data: NYC Parks — Calvert Vaux natural-area water access. 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 Gravesend Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Gravesend Bay is about 41 ft (12 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 Gravesend Bay.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. Open the map above to see every rated 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 Gravesend 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.
Coney Island Channel 2 mi · Sheepshead Bay 4 mi · Bay Ridge Channel 4 mi · Rockaway Inlet 5 mi · Prospect Park Lake 5 mi · Lower Bay 5 mi · Red Hook Channel 5 mi · Pierhead Channel 6 mi · Buttermilk Channel 6 mi · Island Channel 7 mi · Beach Channel 9 mi · False Hook Channel 9 mi
See how Gravesend Bay 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; 68% measured, 32% 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.