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159-acre Money Island Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (98.02% measured, 99.38% assessed), measured pier, channel, SAV and terrain spots, five exact-water fish profiles, three forage calendars, two connected public ramps and current North Carolina rules. The water tops out around 11 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Traced from the shoreline, Money Island Bay runs 159 acres with 2.9 miles of edge, broken up by 3 islands. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 0.8 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. For a second option, Back Sound lies 9 mi east.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: red drum (redfish) in 1 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 11 ft, wintering in 2 to 11 ft. Top water on the chart: Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge, a channel edge in the 9 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (2 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & midday | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 2 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring spotted seatrout on Money Island Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 11 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 11 ft. The chart's best answer is 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge — seagrass edge, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | 2020 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (2 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dusk | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
In spring, southern flounder run shallow here, mostly 1 to 11 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 11 ft, and they winter in 3 to 11 ft. Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring southern flounder. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 11 ft | dawn | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 2 to 11 ft | midday | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Start shallow in spring: sheepshead sit in 2 to 11 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 11 ft covers summer, 3 to 11 ft covers winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted pier, a dock line in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for sheepshead in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a small jig + crab piece until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (6 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (6 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
In spring, black drum run shallow here, mostly 2 to 11 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 11 ft, and they winter in 3 to 11 ft. Winter black drum concentrate at Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge, a prime-rated channel edge around 9 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | midday & dusk | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 2 to 11 ft | dawn | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge (9 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
The chart marks 10 structure features on Money Island Bay; the deepest is Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge at about 9 ft.
Access data: NCWRC Boating Access Areas (OBJECTID 85; MOREHEAD CITY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Carolina waters are set by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to Money Island Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
Money Island Bay is about 11 ft (3 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 red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, sheepshead, black drum on Money Island Bay.
Atlantic Beach - Money Island Channels channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Money Island Bay is regulated by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Check the official North Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Back Sound 9 mi · Bogue Sound 10 mi · Lookout Bight 12 mi · Jarrett Bay 14 mi · Salliers Bay 35 mi · Alligator Bay 41 mi · Stump Sound 47 mi · Topsail Sound 55 mi · Pamlico Sound 59 mi · Lake Mattamuskeet 63 mi · Hatteras Inlet 64 mi · Sandy Bay 69 mi
See how Money Island Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in North Carolina · best spotted seatrout lakes in North Carolina · best southern flounder lakes in North Carolina · best sheepshead lakes in North Carolina
Browse all North Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 98% measured, 1% 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.