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24,331-acre eastern Tampa Bay section with NOAA assessed survey contours, port and channel structure, charted wrecks, seagrass and oyster habitat. The water tops out around 55 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Hillsborough Bay maps at 24,371 acres behind 108.4 miles of shoreline — 53 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 75% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 13 mi end to end and 7.5 mi across at its widest. Its nearest charted neighbour, Middle Tampa Bay, is 10 mi to the southwest.
When the water first warms, red drum (redfish) slide up into 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 12 ft game here, winter a 3 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow feeding flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (6 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (6 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | 2024 oyster bars edge (6 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (6 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Start shallow in spring: spotted seatrout sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 20 ft. The spot to know is 2024 patchy seagrass edge, a seagrass edge in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for spotted seatrout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 2024 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 2024 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Early season snook use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Summer is a 3 to 15 ft game here, winter a 4 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow feeding flat — feeding flat, 6 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (6 ft) | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 patchy seagrass edge (4 ft) | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (6 ft) | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
Come spring, look for sheepshead tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 15 ft; the winter hold is 10 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it 2024 oyster bars edge: an oyster reef around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A small jig + crab piece is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | 2024 oyster bars edge (6 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | 2024 oyster bars edge (6 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | 2024 oyster bars edge (6 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (26 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Come spring, look for gulf flounder tight to the bank in 2 to 14 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 40 ft. Start at Shallow feeding flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (6 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 6 to 28 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Slow jig + scented grub |
Start shallow in spring: gray snapper (mangrove snapper) sit in 3 to 22 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small bucktail or a paddletail until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 oyster bars edge (6 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (5 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (5 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (26 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Hillsborough Bay also holds black drum (3 to 18 ft in summer), permit (3 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 54 structure features on Hillsborough Bay; the deepest is Surveyed channel edge at about 49 ft.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Hillsborough Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Hillsborough Bay is about 55 ft (17 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 red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, snook, sheepshead, gulf flounder, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), black drum, permit on Hillsborough Bay.
Shallow feeding flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For red drum (redfish), 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 Hillsborough Bay is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater). Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Middle Tampa Bay 10 mi · Old Tampa Bay 12 mi · Lake Thonotosass 16 mi · Boca Ciega Bay 21 mi · Pass A Grille Channel 22 mi · Bunces Pass 23 mi · Lower Tampa Bay 23 mi · Lake Tarpon 24 mi · South Clearwater Harbor 24 mi · North Clearwater Harbor 24 mi · Terra Ceia Bay 25 mi · Manatee River 25 mi
See how Hillsborough Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida · best snook lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 43% measured, 56% 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.