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188-acre Winhole Channel fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (74.1% measured, 99.28% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 45 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 follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 188 acres, worked by 4.4 miles of shoreline. The 2.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 21% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 2 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. Its nearest charted neighbour, East Broad Channel, is 1 mi to the south.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 14 to 45 ft before dropping to 14 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 25 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 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring bluefish on Winhole Channel hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. They move out to 5 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 40 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 25 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 35 ft before dropping to 14 to 45 ft for winter. Summer summer flounder (fluke) concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 25 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 | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black sea bass in 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 11 to 45 ft before dropping to 14 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted hard seabed, a hard bottom in about 30 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 | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 11 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 11 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Come spring, look for tautog (blackfish) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 14 to 45 ft. Start at NOAA charted hard seabed. It's a hard bottom holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come fall. 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 | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 9 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Start shallow in spring: scup (porgy) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted hard seabed, a hard bottom in the 30 ft range, prime in summer. 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 | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 11 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted hard seabed (30 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Winhole Channel also holds winter flounder (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA charted hard seabed, around 30 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). 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 Winhole Channel specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Winhole Channel is about 45 ft (14 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 Winhole Channel. 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 hard seabed is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. 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 Winhole Channel 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.
East Broad Channel 1 mi · Grass Hassock Channel 1 mi · Grassy Bay 2 mi · Beach Channel 2 mi · East Rockaway Inlet 3 mi · Island Channel 4 mi · Hewlett Bay 7 mi · Sheepshead Bay 7 mi · Rockaway Inlet 8 mi · Reynolds Channel 8 mi · Prospect Park Lake 9 mi · Kissena Lake 9 mi
See how Winhole Channel stacks up: best striped bass lakes in New York · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in New York · best winter flounder lakes in New York · best bluefish lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 74% measured, 25% 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.