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1,077-acre harbor near East Hampton. The water tops out around 14 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 1,077 acres wrapped in 12.7 miles of bank. The 2.8 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 2.7 mi end to end and 1.6 mi across at its widest. It sits in Suffolk County. If the bite dies, Northwest Harbor is 3 mi to the west.
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 4 to 14 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 14 ft, and they winter in 4 to 14 ft. Summer striped bass concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 13 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Old creek channel (10 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Come spring, look for bluefish tight to the bank in 2 to 14 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 14 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 2 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (2 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (2 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & midday | Creek inflow (2 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: summer flounder (fluke) in 3 to 14 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 14 ft through summer, 4 to 14 ft in winter. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in spring. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Old creek channel (10 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 3 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
In spring, black sea bass run shallow here, mostly 4 to 14 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 14 ft, and they winter in 4 to 14 ft. Summer black sea bass concentrate at Break off the point, 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 + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Early season tautog (blackfish) use the shallows, holding in 3 to 14 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 14 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 14 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 9 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (2 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 3 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
The chart marks 10 structure features on Three Mile Harbor; the deepest is Deep basin at about 13 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. 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 Three Mile Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Three Mile Harbor is about 14 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct 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 Three Mile Harbor.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in summer. 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 Three Mile Harbor 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.
Northwest Harbor 3 mi · Coecles Harbor 7 mi · Napeague Bay 8 mi · Fresh Pond (Shelter Island) 8 mi · Fresh Pond (Hither Hills) 9 mi · Pettys Bight 11 mi · Pipes Cove 11 mi · Fort Pond Bay 12 mi · Fort Pond 13 mi · Lake Montauk 14 mi · Big Reed Pond 15 mi · Great Peconic Bay 17 mi
See how Three Mile Harbor 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 Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). 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.