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960-acre Stave Island Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.07% measured, 99.14% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 89 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.
Traced from the shoreline, Stave Island Harbor runs 959 acres with 6.2 miles of edge — 3 islands included. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 33% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.8 mi with a 1.4-mi widest point. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Jordan Harbor, 2 mi south of here.
When the water first warms, striped bass slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 54 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (54 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (21 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluefish sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 15 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (14 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (14 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
When the water first warms, atlantic mackerel slide up into 5 to 45 ft. Summer is a 15 to 80 ft game here, winter a 22 to 89 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 54 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a feather rig or a small vertical jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (54 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (54 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 22 to 89 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (54 ft) | Small deep jig |
Spring atlantic cod on Stave Island Harbor hold shallow, usually 18 to 89 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 22 to 89 ft in summer, 20 to 89 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 11 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 18 to 89 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 22 to 89 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 16 to 89 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 20 to 89 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic herring in 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 50 ft before dropping to 20 to 60 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic herring in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a herring feather rig or a small silver jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (54 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
Structure-wise the chart holds 14 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 54 ft.
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 Stave Island Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Stave Island Harbor is about 89 ft (27 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 on Stave Island Harbor.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Stave Island 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.
Jordan Harbor 2 mi · Flanders Bay 3 mi · Eastern Point Harbor 3 mi · Frenchman Bay 3 mi · Winter Harbor 4 mi · Sorrento Harbor 4 mi · Bar Harbor 4 mi · Cromwell Cove 5 mi · Bunkers Harbor 6 mi · Schoodic Harbor 7 mi · Lake Wood 7 mi · Eastern Bay 8 mi
See how Stave Island Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Maine · best bluefish lakes in Maine · best atlantic herring lakes in Maine · best atlantic mackerel lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 99% 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.