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2,387-acre Stump Sound fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo contours (97.49% measured, 99.46% assessed), exact NOAA ESI fish occurrence, 2021 NC DMF seagrass, measured pier and channel-edge spots, two verified ramps, three forage calendars, Permuda Island guidance and current North Carolina marine rules. 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
On the chart, Stump Sound draws 2,386 acres inside 49.9 miles of shoreline, with 71 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 7.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Call it 7.3 mi long by 1.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Alligator Bay, 6 mi northeast of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: red drum (redfish) in 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 12 ft before dropping to 3 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge, a channel edge in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (2 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 19 ft | dawn & midday | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring spotted seatrout on Stump Sound hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 19 ft. Put 2021 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge first on the milk run — a seagrass edge near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | 2021 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | 2021 NC DMF mapped patchy SAV edge (2 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 19 ft | midday & dusk | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
In spring, southern flounder run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 18 ft before dropping to 6 to 19 ft for winter. Spring southern flounder concentrate at Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge, a prime-rated channel edge around 10 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 4 to 19 ft | midday | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
In spring, black drum run shallow here, mostly 3 to 19 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 18 ft, and they winter in 4 to 19 ft. Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for winter black drum. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 19 ft | midday & dusk | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 3 to 19 ft | dawn | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 4 to 19 ft | midday | Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge (10 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
Start shallow in spring: sheepshead sit in 4 to 19 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 15 ft covers summer, 6 to 19 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted pier, a dock line in the 3 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small jig + crab piece until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 19 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (3 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (15 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (15 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Count 65 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 3 channel edge, sits near 15 ft.
Access data: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — Boating Access Areas (OBJECTID 130). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Carolina waters are set by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to Stump Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
Stump Sound 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 red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, black drum, sheepshead on Stump Sound.
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway - BFTCFR - Section 3 - Tangent 4 channel edge is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For red drum (redfish), 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 Stump Sound is regulated by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Check the official North Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Alligator Bay 6 mi · Topsail Sound 8 mi · Salliers Bay 13 mi · Masonboro Inlet 26 mi · Northeast Cape Fear River 30 mi, NC/SC · Bogue Sound 37 mi · Cape Fear River - Reach 2 of 2 40 mi, NC/SC · Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 43 mi, NC/SC · Money Island Bay 47 mi · Back Sound 55 mi · Lookout Bight 56 mi · Lake Waccamaw 59 mi
See how Stump Sound stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in North Carolina · best spotted seatrout lakes in North Carolina · best southern flounder lakes in North Carolina · best sheepshead lakes in North Carolina
Browse all North Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 97% measured, 2% 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.