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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
11 km of the Harlem River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 38 ft. The depth chart comes from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 4,746 acres wrapped in 15.4 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 48% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 6.5 mi end to end and 1.9 mi across at its widest. Its nearest charted neighbour, Rikers Island Channel, is 4 mi to the southeast.
Spring smallmouth bass on Harlem River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 38 ft. Put Current seam (mile 0.3) first on the milk run — a current seam near 15 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 0.3) — current seam, 15 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 11 to 38 ft one. The chart's best answer is Slackwater eddy (mile 4.2) — eddy pocket, 19 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.2) (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.2) (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.2) (19 ft) |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 38 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 0.3). It's a current seam holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon 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 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 0.3) (15 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 30 ft. Start at Slackwater eddy (mile 4.2). It's an eddy pocket holding about 19 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.2) (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.2) (19 ft) |
Count 4 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Channel bar / point (mile 5.8), sits near 27 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Harlem River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Harlem River is about 38 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, common carp on Harlem River. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Current seam (mile 0.3) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth 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 Harlem River is regulated by the New York DEC. 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.
Rikers Island Channel 4 mi, NY · Flushing Bay 5 mi, NY · Green Brook Pond 6 mi, NJ · Eastchester Bay 6 mi, NY · City Island Harbor 8 mi, NY · Kissena Lake 8 mi, NY · Oakland Lake 10 mi, NY · Echo Bay 10 mi, NY · Hudson River - Yonkers to Tappan Zee 11 mi, NY · Buttermilk Channel 11 mi, NY · Manhasset Bay 11 mi, NY · Larchmont Harbor 12 mi, NY
See how Harlem River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best channel catfish lakes in New York · best rainbow trout lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 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.