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65-acre Milford Harbor fishing map with 98.01%-measured NOAA BlueTopo contours, 11 measured wreck, rock, jetty, pier, channel-edge and depth-transition spots, Long Island Sound fish, three forage calendars, an exact public ramp and fishing dock, shellfish context and current Connecticut rules. The water tops out around 19 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 65 acres wrapped in 3 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. A development index of 2.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 0.9 mi, about 0.4 mi across. Frash Pond sits 5 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 19 ft. The depth story barely changes: 6 to 19 ft through summer, 6 to 19 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Milford Harbor channel edge 4, a channel edge in the 12 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig gets it done.
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 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge 2 (9 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring bluefish on Milford Harbor hold shallow, usually 3 to 19 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 19 ft in summer, 6 to 19 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted breakwater 1 — jetty / riprap, 3 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips.
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 | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater 1 (3 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge 2 (9 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 4 to 19 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 19 ft, and they winter in 6 to 19 ft. Milford Harbor channel edge 4 is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for summer summer flounder (fluke). Time it for midday and early morning. You won't need more than a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead 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 | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black sea bass in 5 to 19 ft. The depth story barely changes: 5 to 19 ft through summer, 6 to 19 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 12 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for midday and early morning. Summer baits: a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser gets it done.
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 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Come spring, look for tautog (blackfish) tight to the bank in 4 to 19 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 19 ft; the winter hold is 6 to 19 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab 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 | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Start shallow in spring: scup (porgy) sit in 4 to 19 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 19 ft covers summer, 5 to 19 ft covers winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for scup (porgy) in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. Throw a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | Milford Harbor channel edge 4 (12 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Milford Harbor also holds winter flounder (5 to 19 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 11 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Milford Harbor channel edge, sits near 13 ft.
Access data: City of Milford — Harbor Management Commission and Marina. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Connecticut waters are set by the Connecticut DEEP (marine fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Milford Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Milford Harbor is about 19 ft (6 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), scup (porgy), winter flounder on Milford Harbor. 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 12 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. 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 Milford Harbor is regulated by the Connecticut DEEP (marine fishing). Check the official Connecticut regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Frash Pond 5 mi · Maltby Lake #3 7 mi · Maltby Lake #1 7 mi · Maltby Lake #2 7 mi · Morris Cove 8 mi · Black Rock Harbor 10 mi · Lake Housatonic 10 mi · Lake Wintergreen 11 mi · Lake Saltonstall 12 mi · Chamberlain Lake 13 mi · Saugatuck Reservoir 17 mi · Lake Zoar 17 mi
See how Milford Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Connecticut · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Connecticut · best winter flounder lakes in Connecticut · best bluefish lakes in Connecticut
Browse all Connecticut fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 98% measured, 0% 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.