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250,170-acre bay near Fairhope. The water tops out around 48 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct 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, Mobile Bay runs 248,546 acres with 137.8 miles of edge, broken up by 11 islands. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 95% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 31.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 22.7 mi at the beam. For a second option, Wolf Bay lies 23 mi southeast.
Spring puts red drum (redfish) in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 15 ft. Feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring red drum (redfish). Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (7 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Apalache River inflow (7 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Old creek channel (12 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
When the water first warms, spotted seatrout slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 20 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Shallow flat (5 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Old creek channel (12 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Start shallow in spring: southern flounder sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 18 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Old creek channel, a creek channel in the 12 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (12 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (12 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | Apalache River inflow (7 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (37 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
In spring, sheepshead run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 15 ft, and they winter in 10 to 30 ft. Summer sheepshead concentrate at Marina / dock area, a prime-rated dock line around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small jig + crab piece most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Marina / dock area (3 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (3 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | Marina / dock area (3 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep hole (28 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Mobile Bay carries 43 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 37 ft down.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alabama waters are set by the Alabama DCNR Marine Resources (saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Mobile Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alabama fishing regulations →
Mobile Bay is about 48 ft (15 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, sheepshead on Mobile Bay.
Feeding flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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 Mobile Bay is regulated by the Alabama DCNR Marine Resources (saltwater). Check the official Alabama regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Wolf Bay 23 mi · Perdido Pass 26 mi · Perdido Bay 31 mi, AL/FL · Moon Lake 40 mi · Pensacola Bay Mouth 42 mi, FL · Middle Pensacola Bay 44 mi, FL · Pensacola Bay 45 mi, FL · North Escambia Bay 47 mi, FL · Escambia Bay 48 mi, FL · South Escambia Bay 48 mi, FL · North Pensacola Bay 48 mi, FL · East Bay 58 mi, FL
Browse all Alabama fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). 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.