Salt water depth chart
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374-acre Cuttyhunk Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (82.13% measured, 96.57% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 32 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.
Traced from the shoreline, Cuttyhunk Harbor runs 373 acres with 4 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 56% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 1.3 mi long by 0.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. For a second option, Menemsha Bight lies 9 mi southeast.
When the water first warms, striped bass slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is a 10 to 32 ft game here, winter a 10 to 32 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 13 ft of water and rates good come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig rigged through the warm months.
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 (13 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 10 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 9 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Start shallow in spring: bluefish sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 32 ft. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates good for bluefish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips 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 | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
When the water first warms, summer flounder (fluke) slide up into 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 32 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 32 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 13 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Keep a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead rigged through the warm months.
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 (13 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 7 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 9 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (13 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
When the water first warms, black sea bass slide up into 8 to 32 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 8 to 32 ft, winter 10 to 32 ft. Start at NOAA charted underwater rock. It's a rock pile holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. Keep a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser rigged through the warm months.
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 | 8 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 8 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 8 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Spring puts tautog (blackfish) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 9 to 32 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 32 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for spring tautog (blackfish). Plan around early morning in the warm months. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab covers the summer program.
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 underwater rock (12 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 9 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 6 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Come spring, look for scup (porgy) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 5 to 32 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 32 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is midday and early morning. A hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal 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 | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 5 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 6 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 8 to 32 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Cuttyhunk Harbor also holds winter flounder (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 18 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 27 ft.
Access data: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife — Public Water Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Massachusetts waters are set by the Massachusetts DMF (recreational saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Cuttyhunk Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Cuttyhunk Harbor is about 32 ft (10 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 Cuttyhunk 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 12 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Cuttyhunk Harbor is regulated by the Massachusetts DMF (recreational saltwater). Check the official Massachusetts regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Menemsha Bight 9 mi · Menemsha Pond 10 mi · Squibnocket Pond 10 mi · Buzzards Bay 11 mi, MA/RI · Clarks Cove 12 mi · Nasketucket Bay 13 mi · Woods Hole Passage 14 mi · Acushnet River 15 mi · Quissett Harbor 15 mi · Lagoon Pond 17 mi · Vineyard Haven Harbor 17 mi · Sachuest Bay 18 mi, RI
See how Cuttyhunk Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Massachusetts · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Massachusetts · best winter flounder lakes in Massachusetts · best bluefish lakes in Massachusetts
Browse all Massachusetts fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 82% measured, 14% 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.