Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
23-acre Sherman Inlet fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable measured fishing structure, exact NOAA Panhandle ESI fish occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 10 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 drawn water covers 23 acres wrapped in 0.8 miles of bank. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi, about 0.2 mi across. Big Lagoon sits 4 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.
Start shallow in spring: gray snapper (mangrove snapper) sit in 1 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 10 ft covers summer, 2 to 10 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted pile, a dock line in the 3 ft range, prime in summer. 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 | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pile (3 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pile (3 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pile (3 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (3 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
When the water first warms, red drum (redfish) slide up into 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder: a gravel shoal around 4 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 | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (5 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (5 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: spanish mackerel in 2 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder, a gravel shoal in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for spanish mackerel in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spoon trolled or cast or a fast metal jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | Small casting spoon, Gotcha-style plug |
| Summer | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | Small spoon trolled or cast, Fast metal jig |
| Fall | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (4 ft) | Casting spoon, Small metal jig |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (5 ft) | Small metal jig in confirmed offshore water |
Come spring, look for lane snapper tight to the bank in 1 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 10 ft. Start at NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth. It's a channel edge holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small vertical jig or a bucktail is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (1 ft) | Small bucktail, Shrimp-pattern jig |
| Summer | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (1 ft) | Small vertical jig, Bucktail |
| Fall | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (1 ft) | Shrimp-pattern jig, Small bucktail |
| Winter | 1 to 10 ft | dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (1 ft) | Small jig worked slowly, Bottom bucktail |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break, sits near 5 ft.
Access data: FWC Boat Ramp Inventory (OBJECTID 549; RampID ES21625KF). 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 Sherman Inlet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Sherman Inlet is about 10 ft (3 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 gray snapper (mangrove snapper), red drum (redfish), spanish mackerel, lane snapper on Sherman Inlet.
NOAA charted pile is the top-rated area: a dock line in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For gray snapper (mangrove snapper), 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 Sherman 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.
Big Lagoon 4 mi · Pensacola Bay Mouth 4 mi · Middle Pensacola Bay 7 mi · Old Navy Cove 7 mi · Perdido Bay 8 mi, AL/FL · Pensacola Bay 8 mi · North Pensacola Bay 12 mi · South Escambia Bay 14 mi · Cotton Bayou 15 mi, AL · Perdido Pass 15 mi, AL · Escambia Bay 16 mi · Wolf Bay 17 mi, AL
See how Sherman Inlet stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Florida · best spanish mackerel lakes in Florida · best gray snapper (mangrove snapper) lakes in Florida · best lane snapper 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.