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1,062-acre Lookout Bight fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo and W00334 survey contours (65.8% measured, 100% assessed), exact NOAA ESI fish and forage, measured wreck, pier and 2020 SAV spots, two OPEN mainland ramps, Cape Lookout guidance and current North Carolina rules. The water tops out around 38 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 rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 1,062 acres wrapped in 6.8 miles of bank — one island included. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 65% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 2.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.4 mi at the beam. Back Sound sits 4 mi northwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring red drum (redfish) on Lookout Bight hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 15 ft. Put 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge first on the milk run — a seagrass edge near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (4 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (9 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (9 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring puts spotted seatrout in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 20 ft. Spring spotted seatrout concentrate at 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge, a prime-rated seagrass edge around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (4 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (4 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (4 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Early season southern flounder use the shallows, holding in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 18 ft, then a winter hold in 11 to 38 ft. Put NOAA charted pier first on the milk run — a dock line near 4 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (9 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 38 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 18 ft that scores good in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (9 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (9 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring puts black sea bass in skinny water — 10 to 38 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 10 to 38 ft, and winter fish hold in 11 to 38 ft. Spring black sea bass concentrate at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a prime-rated wreck around 12 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. A bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 38 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 10 to 38 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 10 to 38 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Early season sheepshead use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 15 ft; winter keeps them in 10 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted pier — dock line, 4 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a small jig + crab piece and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (5 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (12 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Lookout Bight also holds cobia (5 to 38 ft in summer), spanish mackerel (5 to 38 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 17 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 18 ft.
Access data: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — Boating Access Areas (OBJECTID 88). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Carolina waters are set by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to Lookout Bight specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
Lookout Bight is about 38 ft (12 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, southern flounder, bluefish, black sea bass, sheepshead, cobia, spanish mackerel on Lookout Bight.
Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the top-rated area: a wreck in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Lookout Bight is regulated by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Check the official North Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Back Sound 4 mi · Jarrett Bay 11 mi · Money Island Bay 12 mi · Bogue Sound 21 mi · Salliers Bay 44 mi · Alligator Bay 50 mi · Stump Sound 56 mi · Pamlico Sound 58 mi · Hatteras Inlet 59 mi · Topsail Sound 63 mi · Lake Mattamuskeet 64 mi · Sandy Bay 64 mi
See how Lookout Bight stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in North Carolina · best spotted seatrout lakes in North Carolina · best southern flounder lakes in North Carolina · best bluefish lakes in North Carolina
Browse all North Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 66% measured, 34% 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.