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631-acre Saint Lucie Inlet fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo contours (51.45% measured, 99.98% assessed), exact NOAA ESI fish and forage, 20 measured NOAA/USACE fishing spots, two connected public ramps, three local forage calendars, state-park guidance and current Florida rules. The water tops out around 28 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 632 acres wrapped in 6.6 miles of bank, with 5 islands in the mix. A middling shoreline index (1.9) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 68% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 2.1 mi long by 1 mi wide at the broadest reach. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Clarke, is 37 mi to the south.
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 6 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it ST LUCIE INLET channel edge: a channel edge around 25 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (25 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (15 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (21 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 6 to 28 ft | midday | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (25 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
In spring, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) run shallow here, mostly 3 to 22 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 28 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 28 ft. NOAA charted pier is the standout, a dock line at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for summer gray snapper (mangrove snapper). Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small bucktail or a paddletail most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (9 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (9 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (9 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 5 to 28 ft | midday | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (25 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Early season red drum (redfish) use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 12 ft game here, winter a 3 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 10 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (15 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (15 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring sheepshead on Saint Lucie Inlet hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 15 ft in summer, 8 to 28 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 10 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run 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 underwater rock (10 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (9 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (10 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
When the water first warms, snook slide up into 2 to 12 ft. Summer is a 3 to 15 ft game here, winter a 4 to 15 ft one. Start at NOAA charted breakwater. It's a jetty / riprap holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a flair hawk jig (passes, night) or a big swimbait in the current rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (9 ft) | Paddletail on 1/4 oz head, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (14 ft) | Flair hawk jig (passes, night), Big swimbait in the current |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (9 ft) | Big paddletail (mullet run), Topwater walker |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (9 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Scented jerkbait crawled in canals |
In spring, atlantic tarpon run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 28 ft before dropping to 4 to 28 ft for winter. Summer atlantic tarpon concentrate at ST LUCIE INLET channel edge, a prime-rated channel edge around 25 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (25 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 3 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (25 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (25 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 4 to 28 ft | dusk | ST LUCIE INLET channel edge (25 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
Saint Lucie Inlet carries 20 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at ST LUCIE INLET channel edge, about 25 ft down.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory (OBJECTID 1514; RampID MT00295EU). 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 Saint Lucie Inlet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Saint Lucie Inlet is about 28 ft (9 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 black drum, gray snapper (mangrove snapper), red drum (redfish), sheepshead, snook, atlantic tarpon on Saint Lucie Inlet.
ST LUCIE INLET channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For black drum, 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 Saint Lucie 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.
Lake Clarke 37 mi · Lake Osborne 40 mi · Lake Ida 47 mi · Sebastian Inlet 51 mi · Lake Okeechobee 51 mi · Lake Istokpoga 71 mi · Indian River 71 mi · Lake Huntley 73 mi · Sawgrass Lake 73 mi · Lake Marian 75 mi · Lake June-in-Winter 76 mi · Lake Washington 76 mi
See how Saint Lucie Inlet stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best sheepshead lakes in Florida · best snook lakes in Florida · best black drum lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 51% measured, 49% 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.