Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
139-acre Merrick Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (79.5% measured, 95.5% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 27 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 the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 139 acres wrapped in 4.7 miles of bank, broken up by an island. With a shoreline index of 2.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 93% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 1.4 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. If the bite dies, Middle Bay is 3 mi to the southwest.
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 27 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 27 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 7 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Early season bluefish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 20 ft. Summer is a 5 to 27 ft game here, winter an 8 to 27 ft one. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 7 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring puts summer flounder (fluke) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 27 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 27 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for summer summer flounder (fluke). Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. A bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 6 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 7 to 27 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Start shallow in spring: black sea bass sit in 7 to 27 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 7 to 27 ft covers summer, 8 to 27 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 7 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 7 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 7 to 27 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | open water | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
When the water first warms, tautog (blackfish) slide up into 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 27 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted pier: a dock line around 14 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (14 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (14 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 5 to 27 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | open water | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by NOAA charted pier at roughly 14 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 Merrick Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Merrick Bay is about 27 ft (8 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 Merrick Bay.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Merrick 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.
Middle Bay 3 mi · Sloop Channel 3 mi · Jones Inlet 5 mi · South Oyster Bay 5 mi · Hempstead Lake 5 mi · Reynolds Channel 6 mi · Hewlett Bay 6 mi · East Rockaway Inlet 11 mi · Grass Hassock Channel 12 mi · Fire Island Inlet 12 mi · Oakland Lake 13 mi · Winhole Channel 13 mi
See how Merrick 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; 80% 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.