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764-acre Passage Key Inlet fishing map with fully measured NOAA BlueTopo survey contours, measured channel, shoal and terrain spots, seven Lower Tampa Bay fish profiles, three forage calendars, two connected public ramps, refuge no-entry guidance and current Florida rules. The water tops out around 42 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 season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 766 acres, worked by 5.6 miles of shoreline. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 54% of this chart. Figure 2.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.7 mi at the beam. If the bite dies, Mullet Key Bayou is 7 mi to the north.
Early season snook use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 15 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
Come spring, look for sheepshead tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 15 ft; the winter hold is 10 to 30 ft. Start at NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder. It's a gravel shoal holding about 23 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A small jig + crab piece is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (23 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | open water | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (23 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | open water | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Start shallow in spring: spotted seatrout sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 16 ft range, good in winter. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | open water | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
When the water first warms, red drum (redfish) slide up into 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder: a gravel shoal around 23 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (23 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Start shallow in spring: gray snapper (mangrove snapper) sit in 3 to 22 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 42 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, a channel edge in the 38 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small bucktail or a paddletail until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (21 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (31 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (31 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 7 to 42 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (38 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Come spring, look for gulf flounder tight to the bank in 2 to 14 ft. They move out to 4 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth: a channel edge around 38 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A paddletail dragged on bottom or a bucktail + swimming mullet is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (38 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail, Bucktail + scented shrimp |
| Summer | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Paddletail dragged on bottom, Bucktail + swimming mullet |
| Fall | 6 to 28 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (31 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + scented grub, Paddletail on a heavier jighead |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (38 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub |
Passage Key Inlet also holds gag grouper (6 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 7 structure features on Passage Key Inlet; the deepest is NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth at about 38 ft.
Access data: Florida FWC Boat Ramp Inventory (OBJECTID 1279; RampID MA00480SR). 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 Passage Key Inlet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Passage Key Inlet is about 42 ft (13 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 snook, sheepshead, spotted seatrout, red drum (redfish), gray snapper (mangrove snapper), gulf flounder, gag grouper on Passage Key Inlet.
NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 38 ft of water that rates prime for gulf flounder in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For snook, 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 Passage Key Inlet 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.
Mullet Key Bayou 7 mi · Lower Tampa Bay 7 mi · Longboat Pass 8 mi · Bunces Pass 8 mi · Terra Ceia Bay 9 mi · North Sarasota Bay 10 mi · Pass A Grille Channel 10 mi · Manatee River Estuary 11 mi · Boca Ciega Bay 14 mi · Manatee River 14 mi · Upper Sarasota Bay - Sarasota 17 mi · Southwest Sarasota Bay 18 mi
See how Passage Key Inlet 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; 100% measured, 0% 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.