Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,254-acre Sloop Channel fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (87.68% measured, 98.91% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 48 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Sloop Channel draws 1,253 acres inside 13.7 miles of shoreline — 5 islands included. A development index of 2.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 51% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 5 mi, about 0.8 mi across. For a second option, Jones Inlet lies 3 mi southwest.
Come spring, look for striped bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 14 to 48 ft, then a winter hold in 14 to 48 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 16 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 14 to 48 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluefish in 3 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for bluefish in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Come spring, look for summer flounder (fluke) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 8 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 48 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 16 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is midday and early morning. A bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Come spring, look for black sea bass tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 12 to 48 ft, then a winter hold in 14 to 48 ft. Start at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck. It's a wreck holding about 24 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in midday and early morning. A bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 12 to 48 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 12 to 48 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
In spring, tautog (blackfish) run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 14 to 48 ft. Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the standout, a wreck at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for spring tautog (blackfish). Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 48 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Count 9 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, sits near 33 ft.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC (saltwater fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Sloop Channel specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Sloop Channel is about 48 ft (15 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 striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass, tautog (blackfish) on Sloop Channel.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For striped bass, 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 Sloop Channel is regulated by the New York DEC (saltwater fishing). Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Jones Inlet 3 mi · Merrick Bay 3 mi · Middle Bay 4 mi · South Oyster Bay 5 mi · Reynolds Channel 7 mi · Hewlett Bay 8 mi · Hempstead Lake 8 mi · Fire Island Inlet 11 mi · East Rockaway Inlet 12 mi · Grass Hassock Channel 13 mi · Winhole Channel 14 mi · East Broad Channel 15 mi
See how Sloop Channel stacks up: best striped bass lakes in New York · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in New York · best bluefish lakes in New York · best black sea bass lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 88% measured, 11% 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.