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305-acre Morris Cove fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo and H11011 survey contours (95.97% measured, 96.47% assessed), measured chart and terrain spots, six Long Island Sound fish profiles, three forage calendars, Fort Nathan Hale pier access and current Connecticut rules. The water tops out around 37 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.
Morris Cove maps at 305 acres behind 2.8 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 72% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 0.9 mi, about 0.8 mi across. Lake Saltonstall sits 4 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 11 to 37 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 37 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 31 ft range, good in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig 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 (11 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 11 to 37 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (31 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (31 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (31 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Early season bluefish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 20 ft. Summer is a 5 to 30 ft game here, winter an 11 to 37 ft one. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted groin — jetty / riprap, 6 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 (11 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted groin (6 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | open water | 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 8 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 37 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 31 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 (11 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (31 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 10 to 37 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (31 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (31 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: scup (porgy) in 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 35 ft before dropping to 9 to 37 ft for winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted groin, a jetty / riprap in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for scup (porgy) in summer. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted groin (6 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted groin (6 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 7 to 37 ft | midday | NOAA charted groin (6 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 9 to 37 ft | midday | NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Start shallow in spring: black sea bass sit in 9 to 37 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 9 to 37 ft covers summer, 11 to 37 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in the 13 ft range, prime in spring. 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 | 9 to 37 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 9 to 37 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 9 to 37 ft | midday | NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | 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 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 37 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted wreck: a wreck around 13 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 wreck (13 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 7 to 37 ft | midday | NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Structure-wise the chart holds 10 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 31 ft.
Access data: Connecticut DEEP Coastal Access Guide — Fort Nathan Hale Park. 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 Morris Cove specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Morris Cove is about 37 ft (11 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), scup (porgy), black sea bass, tautog (blackfish) on Morris Cove.
NOAA charted wreck is the top-rated area: a wreck in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for tautog (blackfish) 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 Morris Cove 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.
Lake Saltonstall 4 mi · Maltby Lake #1 5 mi · Maltby Lake #2 5 mi · Maltby Lake #3 5 mi · Lake Wintergreen 7 mi · Milford Harbor 8 mi · Chamberlain Lake 11 mi · Guilford Harbor 12 mi · Butterworth Dam 12 mi · Frash Pond 13 mi · Lake Housatonic 13 mi · Quonnipaug Lake 14 mi
See how Morris Cove stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Connecticut · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Connecticut · best bluefish lakes in Connecticut · best black sea bass lakes in Connecticut
Browse all Connecticut fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 96% 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.