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6,717-acre North Escambia Bay section with quality-assured NOAA direct survey soundings and assessed contours, exact-polygon FWC fish occurrence, mapped seagrass and oyster habitat, and verified public access. The water tops out around 20 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, North Escambia Bay draws 6,729 acres inside 25.7 miles of shoreline, with 2 islands in the mix. An index of 2.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. End to end it runs roughly 4.6 mi, about 3.7 mi across. For a second option, Escambia Bay lies 3 mi southeast.
In spring, red drum (redfish) run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 12 ft before dropping to 3 to 15 ft for winter. Spring red drum (redfish) concentrate at 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge, a prime-rated seagrass edge around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (2 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (2 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Gravel shoal (2 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (9 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Come spring, look for spotted seatrout tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge: a seagrass edge around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (6 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (6 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Sharp break (9 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Come spring, look for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) tight to the bank in 3 to 20 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 20 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge: a seagrass edge around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small bucktail or a paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (6 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | 2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge (6 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (9 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 4 to 20 ft | midday | Sharp break (9 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Spring puts sheepshead in skinny water — 4 to 20 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 20 ft. Gravel shoal is the standout, a gravel shoal at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring sheepshead. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A small jig + crab piece covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel shoal (2 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Gravel shoal (2 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | Gravel shoal (2 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | open water | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Count 14 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Sharp break, sits near 9 ft.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. 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 North Escambia Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
North Escambia Bay is about 20 ft (6 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, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), sheepshead on North Escambia Bay.
2017 patchy (discontinuous) seagrass edge is the top-rated area: a seagrass edge in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for spotted seatrout 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 North Escambia Bay 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.
Escambia Bay 3 mi · South Escambia Bay 6 mi · North Pensacola Bay 10 mi · Pensacola Bay 11 mi · Middle Pensacola Bay 12 mi · East Bay 13 mi · Pensacola Bay Mouth 16 mi · Perdido Bay 20 mi, AL/FL · Santa Rosa Sound 21 mi · Bear Lake 29 mi · Wolf Bay 30 mi, AL · Perdido Pass 31 mi, AL
See how North Escambia Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida · best gray snapper (mangrove snapper) lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 61% measured, 35% 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.