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2,128-acre Manhasset Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (83.56% measured, 99.71% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 54 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Manhasset Bay runs 2,127 acres with 19.5 miles of edge, broken up by 10 islands. With a shoreline index of 3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 64% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 4.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.7 mi at the beam. The nearest mapped water is Hempstead Harbor, 3 mi to the northeast.
Spring striped bass on Manhasset Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 16 to 54 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 22 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 16 to 54 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
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 prime-rated drop-off around 22 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 | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Early season summer flounder (fluke) use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 16 to 54 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 22 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Tie on a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 16 to 54 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (22 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Spring black sea bass on Manhasset Bay hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 14 to 54 ft in summer and finish the year down in 16 to 54 ft. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 11 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. The summer box starts with a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 14 to 54 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (19 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 14 to 54 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (19 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 16 to 54 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (19 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: tautog (blackfish) in 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 35 ft before dropping to 16 to 54 ft for winter. The spot to know is Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for tautog (blackfish) in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (14 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (14 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (14 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 16 to 54 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (14 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Structure-wise the chart holds 44 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 22 ft.
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 Manhasset Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Manhasset Bay is about 54 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, summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass, tautog (blackfish) on Manhasset Bay.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Manhasset Bay 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.
Hempstead Harbor 3 mi · City Island Harbor 4 mi · Eastchester Bay 5 mi · Oakland Lake 5 mi · Echo Bay 7 mi · Kissena Lake 7 mi · Larchmont Harbor 7 mi · Mamaroneck Harbor 8 mi · Flushing Bay 8 mi · Rikers Island Channel 9 mi · Hempstead Lake 10 mi · Harlem River 11 mi, NY/NJ
See how Manhasset Bay 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; 84% measured, 16% 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.