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21,320-acre bay near Gloucester. The water tops out around 27 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 rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Mobjack Bay maps at 21,052 acres behind 91.1 miles of shoreline — 9 islands included. With a shoreline index of 4.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 56% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 8.3 mi end to end and 7.7 mi across at its widest. Elizabeth River sits 29 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 27 ft, wintering in 8 to 27 ft. Spring striped bass concentrate at East River inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 15 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | East River inflow (15 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Spring red drum (redfish) on Mobjack Bay 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 East River inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 15 ft that grades prime for fall. 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 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 | East River inflow (15 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (11 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 Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Sharp break (11 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Start shallow in spring: summer flounder (fluke) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 27 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 27 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. Throw a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 6 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 7 to 27 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 27 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it East River inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 15 ft that scores prime in fall. 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 | East River inflow (15 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | East River inflow (15 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | East River inflow (15 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Count 13 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 26 ft.
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 Virginia waters are set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission — and special regulations can apply to Mobjack Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Virginia fishing regulations →
Mobjack Bay is about 27 ft (8 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 striped bass, red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, summer flounder (fluke), bluefish on Mobjack Bay.
East River inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Mobjack Bay is regulated by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Check the official Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Elizabeth River 29 mi, VA/NC · Southern Branch Elizabeth River 37 mi, VA/NC · Little Wicomico River 40 mi, VA/MD/DE · Tangier Sound 46 mi, MD/VA · North Landing River 54 mi, VA/NC · Back Bay 54 mi · Lake Chesdin 69 mi · Currituck Sound 71 mi, NC/VA · North River 74 mi, NC/VA · Chincoteague Bay 80 mi, MD/VA · Lake Nottoway 91 mi · Roanoke River 93 mi, NC
See how Mobjack Bay stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Virginia
Browse all Virginia 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.