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Fishing Great Bay: what the data says
10,258-acre bay near Tuckerton. The water tops out around 32 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings (depths referenced to low tide), so the channels, holes and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Striped Bass fishing at Great Bay
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 32 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 32 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 27 ft, rated prime for summer striped bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 10 to 32 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 32 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Summer Flounder (Fluke) fishing at Great Bay
Spring summer flounder (fluke) on Great Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 7 to 32 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 32 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 2 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 7 to 32 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 9 to 32 ft | midday | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Bluefish fishing at Great Bay
In spring, bluefish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 32 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for fall bluefish. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
White Perch fishing at Great Bay
Start shallow in spring: white perch sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 32 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 32 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for white perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 10 to 32 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Black Sea Bass fishing at Great Bay
Start shallow in spring: black sea bass sit in 8 to 32 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 8 to 32 ft, and winter fish hold in 10 to 32 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. A bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 32 ft | midday & dawn | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 8 to 32 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 8 to 32 ft | midday | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 27 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 2 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Great Bay?
Great Bay is about 32 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys (charted soundings referenced to low tide), so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Great Bay?
Anglers target striped bass, white perch, summer flounder (fluke), bluefish, black sea bass on Great Bay.
Where is the best fishing spot on Great Bay?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Great Bay?
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.
Nearby waters
Lake Absegami · Little Egg Harbor · Barnegat Bay · Lake Topanemus · Mercer County Park Lake · Deal Lake
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.