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342-acre Island Channel fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (88.32% measured, 99.41% 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.
On the chart, Island Channel draws 342 acres inside 3.6 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.4), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Roughly 18% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 1.3 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Beach Channel, 2 mi east of here.
Come spring, look for striped bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 14 to 48 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 48 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 24 ft that scores good in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig 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 | open water | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 14 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluefish in 3 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 24 ft range, good in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Come spring, look for summer flounder (fluke) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 14 to 48 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 24 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in midday and early morning. A bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead 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 | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 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 (24 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Come spring, look for black sea bass tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 12 to 48 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 28 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is midday and early morning. A bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser 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 | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 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 (28 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 12 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 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 (28 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
In spring, tautog (blackfish) run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 35 ft before dropping to 14 to 48 ft for winter. Spring tautog (blackfish) concentrate at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a prime-rated wreck around 15 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab 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 | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (15 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 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 (28 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 (28 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
When the water first warms, scup (porgy) slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 6 to 35 ft game here, winter a 12 to 48 ft one. Start at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck. It's a wreck holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. Keep a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig rigged through the warm months.
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 (15 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 12 to 48 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Island Channel also holds winter flounder (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Island Channel carries 12 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, about 39 ft down.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). 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 Island Channel specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Island Channel 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 Island Channel. 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 15 ft of water that rates prime for tautog (blackfish) in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Island Channel 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.
Beach Channel 2 mi · East Broad Channel 3 mi · Sheepshead Bay 4 mi · Winhole Channel 4 mi · Rockaway Inlet 4 mi · Grassy Bay 5 mi · Grass Hassock Channel 5 mi · Prospect Park Lake 6 mi · East Rockaway Inlet 6 mi · Coney Island Channel 7 mi · Gravesend Bay 7 mi · Bay Ridge Channel 9 mi
See how Island Channel 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; 88% measured, 11% 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.