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1,261-acre Northwest Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.03% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 40 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Northwest Harbor runs 1,259 acres with 6.6 miles of edge. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 90% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 2.2 mi, about 1.1 mi across. For a second option, Three Mile Harbor lies 3 mi east.
Spring striped bass on Northwest Harbor hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 12 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 23 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 12 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Spring puts bluefish in skinny water — 3 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for summer bluefish. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (14 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (14 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Early season summer flounder (fluke) use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Summer is an 8 to 35 ft game here, winter a 12 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 23 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is midday and early morning. Tie on a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 11 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (23 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Spring black sea bass on Northwest Harbor hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 10 to 40 ft in summer, 12 to 40 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 7 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in midday and early morning. The summer box starts with a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: tautog (blackfish) in 5 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 35 ft, wintering in 12 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 7 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Northwest Harbor carries 8 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 23 ft down.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC (saltwater fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Northwest Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Northwest Harbor is about 40 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 striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass, tautog (blackfish) on Northwest Harbor.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. 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 Northwest Harbor is regulated by the New York DEC (saltwater fishing). Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Three Mile Harbor 3 mi · Coecles Harbor 4 mi · Fresh Pond (Shelter Island) 5 mi · Pipes Cove 8 mi · Pettys Bight 9 mi · Napeague Bay 11 mi · Fresh Pond (Hither Hills) 12 mi · Marratooka Lake 14 mi · Great Peconic Bay 15 mi · Fort Pond Bay 15 mi · Fort Pond 16 mi · Laurel Lake 16 mi
See how Northwest Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in New York · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in New York · best bluefish lakes in New York · best black sea bass lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 99% 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.