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51,686-acre northwestern Tampa Bay section with NOAA assessed survey contours, 2024 seagrass and oyster habitat, charted wrecks and artificial reefs. The water tops out around 45 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Old Tampa Bay runs 51,778 acres with 210.8 miles of edge, with 165 islands in the mix. The 6.6 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 83% of this chart. Call it 16.2 mi long by 9.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: North Clearwater Harbor, 12 mi northwest of here.
In spring, red drum (redfish) run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 15 ft. 2024 oyster bars edge is the standout, an oyster reef at roughly 1 ft, rated prime for spring red drum (redfish). Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 | 2024 oyster bars edge (1 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 oyster bars edge (2 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | 2024 oyster bars edge (1 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (12 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. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 20 ft. Start at 2024 continuous seagrass edge. It's a seagrass edge holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 | 2024 continuous seagrass edge (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | 2024 patchy seagrass edge (8 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 2024 patchy seagrass edge (3 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (17 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Spring puts snook in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 15 ft. Shallow feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for fall snook. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 patchy seagrass edge (3 ft) | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
Spring puts sheepshead in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 10 to 30 ft. Spring sheepshead concentrate at 2024 oyster bars edge, a prime-rated oyster reef around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A small jig + crab piece covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | 2024 oyster bars edge (5 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | 2024 oyster bars edge (4 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | 2024 oyster bars edge (5 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Port Tampa Reef (Bay) (23 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Start shallow in spring: gulf flounder sit in 2 to 14 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Shallow feeding flat, a feeding flat in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for gulf flounder in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 patchy seagrass edge (8 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 6 to 28 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Slow jig + scented grub |
Start shallow in spring: black drum sit in 4 to 25 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 18 ft covers summer, 8 to 35 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: 2024 oyster bars edge, an oyster reef in the 1 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | 2024 oyster bars edge (1 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 2024 oyster bars edge (1 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | 2024 oyster bars edge (1 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 8 to 35 ft | midday | 2024 oyster bars edge (1 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
190 pieces of structure are mapped here — Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, around 27 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Old Tampa Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Old Tampa Bay is about 45 ft (14 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, snook, sheepshead, gulf flounder, black drum on Old Tampa Bay.
2024 continuous seagrass edge is the top-rated area: a seagrass edge in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for spotted seatrout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Old Tampa 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.
North Clearwater Harbor 12 mi · South Clearwater Harbor 12 mi · Hillsborough Bay 12 mi · Lake Tarpon 13 mi · Middle Tampa Bay 14 mi · South St. Joseph Sound 15 mi · Boca Ciega Bay 15 mi · Pass A Grille Channel 18 mi · North St. Joseph Sound 19 mi · Bunces Pass 20 mi · Anclote Anchorage 21 mi · Lake Thonotosass 23 mi
See how Old Tampa Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spotted seatrout lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida · best snook lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 55% measured, 44% 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.