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379-acre Southwest Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (73.42% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 56 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's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 379 acres wrapped in 6.9 miles of bank, broken up by 43 islands. A development index of 2.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 38% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 1.4 mi, about 0.9 mi across. If the bite dies, Northeast Harbor is 2 mi to the northeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 17 to 56 ft, wintering in 20 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 24 ft range, good in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (17 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 17 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring bluefish on Southwest Harbor hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 24 ft, good for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (17 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
In spring, atlantic mackerel run shallow here, mostly 5 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 11 to 56 ft, and winter fish settle into 14 to 56 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 24 ft, rated good for summer atlantic mackerel. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a feather rig or a small vertical jig most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 11 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 9 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 14 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Small deep jig |
In spring, atlantic cod run shallow here, mostly 11 to 56 ft. Summer keeps them at 14 to 56 ft, and they winter in 13 to 56 ft. Spring atlantic cod concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 12 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 11 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 14 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 10 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 13 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Early season atlantic herring use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 50 ft, then a winter hold in 17 to 56 ft. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a herring feather rig or a small silver jig and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 17 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
Start shallow in spring: winter flounder sit in 2 to 18 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 17 ft range, good in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a light scented jig worked slowly until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (17 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (17 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
Southwest Harbor carries 9 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 27 ft down.
Access data: Maine GeoLibrary — Boat Launches (Maine IF&W / DACF). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maine waters are set by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Southwest Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Southwest Harbor is about 56 ft (17 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, atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod, atlantic herring, winter flounder on Southwest Harbor. The list combines the water's survey records with habitat-filtered species from broader official evidence; those additions are plausible occurrences, not exact-water abundance or guaranteed catches.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Southwest Harbor is regulated by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing). Check the official Maine regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Northeast Harbor 2 mi · Gilley Thorofare 3 mi · Long Pond 3 mi · Cranberry Harbor 3 mi · Bass Harbor 4 mi · Bass Harbor Bar 4 mi · Long Pond 5 mi · Eastern Passage 6 mi · Blue Hill Bay 6 mi · Newport Cove 7 mi · Casco Passage 9 mi · Mackerel Cove 9 mi
See how Southwest Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Maine · best winter flounder lakes in Maine · best bluefish lakes in Maine · best atlantic herring lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 73% measured, 27% 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.