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2,458-acre Nassau Sound fishing map with NOAA survey-composite contours (90.89% measured, 96.14% assessed), exact 2,216-record FWC fish and forage, measured wreck, causeway, pier, channel and oyster spots, public ramp and pier access, wildlife-area guidance and current Florida rules. The water tops out around 39 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 outline encloses 2,463 acres, worked by 19 miles of shoreline, 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. Roughly 69% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 4.8 mi long by 2 mi wide at the broadest reach. If the bite dies, Fort George Inlet is 6 mi to the south.
Spring puts permit in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 39 ft. Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the standout, a wreck at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for fall permit. Plan around early morning and midday in the warm months. A crab fly or a crab imitation covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (25 ft) | Small crab fly, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (4 ft) | Crab fly, Crab imitation |
| Fall | 4 to 39 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (4 ft) | Crab imitation, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Winter | 10 to 39 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (4 ft) | Crab imitation worked deep |
Spring sheepshead on Nassau Sound hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 15 ft in summer, 10 to 30 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted pier — dock line, 5 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a small jig + crab piece.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (5 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | 2009-2016 oyster edge (10 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Spring southern flounder on Nassau Sound hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 3 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 39 ft. Put AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge first on the milk run — a channel edge near 15 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (15 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (15 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (25 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | midday | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (25 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Early season bonefish use the shallows, holding in 1 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 1 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 2 to 15 ft. Put AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge first on the milk run — a channel edge near 15 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and midday. Tie on a light shrimp jig or a sparse shrimp fly and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & midday | open water | Small shrimp jig, Shrimp fly |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | dawn & midday | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (15 ft) | Light shrimp jig, Sparse shrimp fly |
| Fall | 1 to 12 ft | dawn & midday | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (15 ft) | Shrimp-pattern jig, Shrimp fly |
| Winter | 2 to 15 ft | midday | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (15 ft) | Slow shrimp jig, Small weighted shrimp fly |
In spring, spotted seatrout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 20 ft for winter. Winter spotted seatrout concentrate at AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge, a prime-rated channel edge around 20 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (15 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 2009-2016 oyster edge (6 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (20 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
When the water first warms, black drum slide up into 4 to 25 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 18 ft, winter 8 to 35 ft. Start at AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge. It's a channel edge holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (25 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 2009-2016 oyster edge (6 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (20 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 8 to 35 ft | midday | AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge (25 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
Nassau Sound also holds red drum (redfish) (2 to 12 ft in summer), spanish mackerel (5 to 39 ft in summer), gulf flounder (4 to 20 ft in summer), bluefish (5 to 30 ft in summer), lane snapper (3 to 39 ft in summer), summer flounder (fluke) (8 to 35 ft in summer), jack crevalle (3 to 35 ft in summer), gray snapper (mangrove snapper) (4 to 30 ft in summer), black sea bass (10 to 39 ft in summer), cobia (5 to 39 ft in summer), mutton snapper (5 to 39 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Nassau Sound carries 20 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge, about 25 ft down.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory (OBJECTID 470; RampID DU00221GD). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Nassau Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Nassau Sound is about 39 ft (12 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 permit, sheepshead, southern flounder, bonefish, spotted seatrout, black drum, red drum (redfish), spanish mackerel, gulf flounder, bluefish, lane snapper, summer flounder (fluke), jack crevalle, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), black sea bass, cobia, mutton snapper on Nassau Sound.
AIWW NORFOLK TO STJOHNS RIVER channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for bonefish in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For permit, the summer bite is best in early morning and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Nassau Sound is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (saltwater). Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Fort George Inlet 6 mi · Amelia River 12 mi, GA/FL · Doctors Lake 32 mi · Saint Andrew Sound 33 mi, GA · Tolomato River 41 mi · Brunswick River 42 mi, GA · Saint Simons Sound 42 mi, GA · Sheeler Lake 56 mi · Lowry Lake 57 mi · Matanzas Inlet 57 mi · Lake Sampson 60 mi · Lake Brooklyn 60 mi
See how Nassau Sound stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best southern flounder lakes in Florida · best spanish mackerel lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 91% measured, 5% 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.