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Fishing Indian River Bay: what the data says
19,658-acre bay near Millsboro. The water tops out around 66 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings (depths referenced to low tide), so the channels, holes and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Summer Flounder (Fluke) fishing at Indian River Bay
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring summer flounder (fluke). In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Summer baits: a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Striped Bass fishing at Indian River Bay
Spring striped bass on Indian River Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 23 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Bluefish fishing at Indian River Bay
In spring, bluefish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 20 ft. They move out to 5 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluefish in fall. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Tautog (Blackfish) fishing at Indian River Bay
Start shallow in spring: tautog (blackfish) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 66 ft. The spot to know is Marina / dock area, a dock line in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for tautog (blackfish) in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 20 to 66 ft | midday | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 23 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 2 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Indian River Bay?
Indian River Bay is about 66 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys (charted soundings referenced to low tide), so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Indian River Bay?
Anglers target striped bass, summer flounder (fluke), bluefish, tautog (blackfish) on Indian River Bay.
Where is the best fishing spot on Indian River Bay?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluefish in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Indian River Bay?
For summer flounder (fluke), the summer bite is best in midday and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Millsboro Pond · Ingrams Pond · Wagamons Pond · Waples Pond · Raccoon Pond · Trap Pond
Browse all Delaware fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.