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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 prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 14 to 48 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
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, prime 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 | Shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | 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 | Shallow feeding flat (8 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | 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.
| 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 | 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.
| 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 | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 12 to 48 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 14 to 48 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.
| 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 | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (28 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
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) on Island Channel.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. 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 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; 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.