Salt water depth chart
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45-acre Salliers Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (95.67% measured, 96.15% assessed), source-traceable measured fishing structure, exact NOAA North Carolina ESI fish occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 17 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 45 acres, worked by 1.4 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. Alligator Bay sits 7 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season red drum (redfish) use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 15 ft. Put NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder first on the milk run — a gravel shoal near 4 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (1 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 17 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
In spring, spotted seatrout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 4 to 17 ft for winter. Winter spotted seatrout concentrate at NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, a prime-rated channel edge around 15 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 17 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Spring southern flounder on Salliers Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 3 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. Put NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth first on the milk run — a channel edge near 15 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 17 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 3 to 17 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: summer flounder (fluke) in 3 to 17 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 17 ft through summer, 5 to 17 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, a channel edge in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 4 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
When the water first warms, black drum slide up into 3 to 17 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 17 ft, winter 4 to 17 ft. Start at NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth. It's a channel edge holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run 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 | 3 to 17 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 3 to 17 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 4 to 17 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (15 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
The chart marks 5 structure features on Salliers Bay; the deepest is NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth at about 15 ft.
Access data: NCWRC Boating Access Areas (OBJECTID 212; SNEADS FERRY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Carolina waters are set by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to Salliers Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
Salliers Bay is about 17 ft (5 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, southern flounder, summer flounder (fluke), black drum on Salliers Bay.
NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Salliers Bay is regulated by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Check the official North Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Alligator Bay 7 mi · Stump Sound 13 mi · Topsail Sound 21 mi · Bogue Sound 25 mi · Money Island Bay 35 mi · Masonboro Inlet 39 mi · Northeast Cape Fear River 42 mi, NC/SC · Back Sound 43 mi · Lookout Bight 44 mi · Jarrett Bay 49 mi · Cape Fear River - Reach 2 of 2 52 mi, NC/SC · Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 55 mi, NC/SC
See how Salliers Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in North Carolina · best spotted seatrout lakes in North Carolina · best southern flounder lakes in North Carolina · best black drum lakes in North Carolina
Browse all North Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 96% 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.