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728-acre Johnson Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.3% measured, 99.9% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 52 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Johnson Bay runs 726 acres with 7.1 miles of edge. Index 1.9 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 38% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.6 mi with a 1.2-mi widest point. For a second option, Lake Glensevern lies 4 mi east.
Spring striped bass on Johnson Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 16 to 52 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 50 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 27 ft that grades good for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig.
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 | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 16 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring puts bluefish in skinny water — 3 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Summer bluefish concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a good-rated drop-off around 27 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Early season atlantic mackerel use the shallows, holding in 5 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 52 ft, then a winter hold in 13 to 52 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 27 ft that grades good for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a feather rig or a small vertical jig and you're in the game.
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 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 10 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 8 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 13 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small deep jig |
Come spring, look for atlantic cod tight to the bank in 10 to 52 ft. Through summer count on 13 to 52 ft; the winter hold is 12 to 52 ft. Start at NOAA charted underwater rock. It's a rock pile holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic 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 | 10 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 13 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 9 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 12 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
In spring, atlantic herring run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 50 ft, and winter fish settle into 16 to 52 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring atlantic herring. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a herring feather rig or a small silver jig 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 | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 16 to 52 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
When the water first warms, winter flounder slide up into 2 to 18 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter a 3 to 20 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 18 ft of water and rates good come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a light scented jig worked slowly rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
17 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 39 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Maine GeoLibrary — Boat Launches (Maine IF&W / DACF). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maine waters are set by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Johnson Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Johnson Bay is about 52 ft (16 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, atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod, atlantic herring, winter flounder on Johnson Bay. 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.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Johnson Bay is regulated by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing). Check the official Maine regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Glensevern 4 mi, NB · Harris Cove 4 mi · Cobscook Bay 5 mi · East Bay 8 mi · Wilson Pond 11 mi, NB · Little Lake 11 mi, NB · Eel Lake 12 mi, NB · Boyden Lake 13 mi · Dwellys Pond 13 mi, NB · Rocky Lake 14 mi · Flagg Cove 14 mi, NB · Pennamaquan Lake 15 mi
See how Johnson Bay stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Maine · best winter flounder lakes in Maine · best bluefish lakes in Maine · best atlantic herring lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 99% measured, 1% 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.