Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for atlantic cod.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
638-acre Chester Harbours fishing map for Front Harbour, Back Harbour, Chandlers Cove and Marriotts Cove with CHS NONNA contours (74.83% measured, 100% assessed), four measured spots, regional cod, mackerel and forage evidence, two municipal access sites, and current CSSP and fishing rules. The water tops out around 87 ft. The depth chart comes from CHS bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 637 acres of water rimmed by 10.9 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. A development index of 3.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 48% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 2.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 1 mi at the beam. The nearest mapped water is Squid Cove, 4 mi to the northeast.
Come spring, look for atlantic cod tight to the bank in 17 to 87 ft. Through summer count on 22 to 87 ft; the winter hold is 20 to 87 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Chandlers Cove surveyed entrance basin: a deep basin around 71 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning. A heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig 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 | 17 to 87 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break (16 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 22 to 87 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | Chandlers Cove surveyed entrance basin (71 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 16 to 87 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break (16 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 20 to 87 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | Chandlers Cove surveyed entrance basin (71 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Early season atlantic mackerel use the shallows, holding in 5 to 45 ft. Summer is a 15 to 80 ft game here, winter a 22 to 87 ft one. The chart's best answer is Chandlers Cove surveyed entrance basin — deep basin, 71 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a feather rig or a small vertical jig and you're in the game.
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 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break (16 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Chandlers Cove surveyed entrance basin (71 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break (16 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 22 to 87 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | midday | Chandlers Cove surveyed entrance basin (71 ft) | Small deep jig |
When the water first warms, winter flounder slide up into 2 to 18 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back Harbour surveyed inner channel: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a light scented jig worked slowly rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break (16 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Back Harbour surveyed inner channel (14 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break (16 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | midday | Back Harbour surveyed inner channel (14 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
Spring striped bass on Chester Harbours hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break — drop-off, 16 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break (16 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Front Harbour surveyed channel shoulder (37 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Marriotts Cove surveyed outer break (16 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Front Harbour surveyed channel shoulder (37 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Chester Harbours carries 8 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Chandlers Cove surveyed entrance basin, about 71 ft down.
Access data: Municipality of the District of Chester. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Nova Scotia waters are set by the Nova Scotia sportfishing rules — and special regulations can apply to Chester Harbours specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nova Scotia fishing regulations →
Chester Harbours is about 87 ft (27 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from CHS bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target atlantic cod, atlantic mackerel, winter flounder, striped bass on Chester Harbours. 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.
Chandlers Cove surveyed entrance basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 71 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For atlantic cod, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Chester Harbours is regulated by the Nova Scotia sportfishing rules. Check the official Nova Scotia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Squid Cove 4 mi · Vaughans Lake 6 mi · Mahone Harbour 9 mi · Dauphinees Mill Lake 11 mi · Hubbards Cove 11 mi · Big Mushamush Lake 15 mi · Big Lake 19 mi · Sherbrooke Lake 20 mi · Blind Bay 20 mi · Lewis Lake 22 mi · Milipsigate Lake 23 mi · Cranberry Lake 25 mi
See how Chester Harbours stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Nova Scotia · best winter flounder lakes in Nova Scotia · best atlantic mackerel lakes in Nova Scotia · best atlantic cod lakes in Nova Scotia
Browse all Nova Scotia fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: CHS NONNA 10 (CHS Chart Datum (CD); 75% 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.