Salt water depth chart
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312-acre Stonington Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 19 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 311 acres wrapped in 6.3 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. The 2.5 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 90% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 1.4 mi, about 0.7 mi across. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mystic Harbor, is 3 mi to the west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 19 ft. The depth story barely changes: 6 to 19 ft through summer, 6 to 19 ft in winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates good for striped bass in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring bluefish on Stonington Harbor hold shallow, usually 3 to 19 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 19 ft in summer, 6 to 19 ft once it turns cold. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 9 ft that grades good for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips.
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 | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 4 to 19 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 19 ft, and they winter in 6 to 19 ft. Summer summer flounder (fluke) concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 9 ft. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead 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 | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (9 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black sea bass in 5 to 19 ft. The depth story barely changes: 5 to 19 ft through summer, 6 to 19 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser 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 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Come spring, look for tautog (blackfish) tight to the bank in 4 to 19 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 19 ft; the winter hold is 6 to 19 ft. Start at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck. It's a wreck holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab is the honest summer answer here.
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 | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (4 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (4 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Start shallow in spring: scup (porgy) sit in 4 to 19 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 19 ft covers summer, 5 to 19 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Stonington Harbor also holds winter flounder (5 to 19 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 22 features, led in depth by Dangerous NOAA charted wreck at roughly 13 ft.
Access data: Connecticut DEEP — State Boat Launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Connecticut waters are set by the Connecticut DEEP (marine fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Stonington Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Stonington Harbor is about 19 ft (6 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), scup (porgy), winter flounder on Stonington 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 5 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass 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 Stonington Harbor is regulated by the Connecticut DEEP (marine fishing). Check the official Connecticut regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Mystic Harbor 3 mi · Mystic River - Reach 1 of 2 3 mi, CT/RI/MA · Pawcatuck River 4 mi, RI/CT · Fishers Island Sound 4 mi · Chapman Pond 7 mi, RI · Long Pond 7 mi · Lantern Hill Pond 8 mi · New London Harbor 9 mi · Thames River 10 mi · Lake Of Isles 10 mi · Wyassup Lake 11 mi · Avery Pond 11 mi
See how Stonington Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Connecticut · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Connecticut · best winter flounder lakes in Connecticut · best bluefish lakes in Connecticut
Browse all Connecticut fishing maps. 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.