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564-acre Great Egg Harbor Inlet fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (41.92% measured, 99.98% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 53 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 the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Great Egg Harbor Inlet maps at 564 acres behind 3.8 miles of shoreline. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 64% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 1.1 mi end to end and 0.9 mi across at its widest. Its nearest charted neighbour, Bargaintown Pond, is 5 mi to the northwest.
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 16 to 53 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. The spot to know is NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, a channel edge in about 49 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light 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 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 16 to 53 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (49 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (49 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Early season bluefish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 40 ft. Put NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder first on the milk run — a gravel shoal near 29 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (29 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (29 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring puts summer flounder (fluke) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 35 ft, wintering in 16 to 53 ft. Fall summer flounder (fluke) concentrate at NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break, a prime-rated channel edge around 46 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. A bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead 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 | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 12 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (46 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 16 to 53 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (49 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Start shallow in spring: black sea bass sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 13 to 53 ft, and winter fish settle into 16 to 53 ft. The spot to know is NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, a channel edge in about 49 ft of water that rates good for black sea bass in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. Throw a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser 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 | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pile (15 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 13 to 53 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (49 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 13 to 53 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (49 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 16 to 53 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | open water | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
When the water first warms, tautog (blackfish) slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 10 to 35 ft game here, winter a 16 to 53 ft one. Start at NOAA charted pile. It's a dock line holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab 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 | NOAA charted pier (6 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pile (15 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (15 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 16 to 53 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | open water | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: scup (porgy) in 5 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 35 ft, wintering in 12 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted pier, a dock line in the 6 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for midday and early morning. Summer baits: a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (6 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (6 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (15 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (49 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Great Egg Harbor Inlet also holds winter flounder (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Great Egg Harbor Inlet carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, about 49 ft down.
Access data: New Jersey DEP Fish & Wildlife — Saltwater Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Jersey waters are set by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife (marine) — and special regulations can apply to Great Egg Harbor Inlet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Jersey fishing regulations →
Great Egg Harbor Inlet is about 53 ft (16 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 Great Egg Harbor Inlet. 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 pier is the top-rated area: a dock line in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for scup (porgy) 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 Great Egg Harbor Inlet is regulated by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife (marine). Check the official New Jersey regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Bargaintown Pond 5 mi · Mill Pond 15 mi · Great Bay 17 mi · Little Egg Inlet 18 mi · Lake Absegami 23 mi · Pohatcong Lake 24 mi · Hereford Inlet 24 mi · Little Egg Harbor 24 mi · Hammonton Lake 26 mi · Shaws Mill Pond 33 mi · Barnegat Bay 38 mi · Mary Elmer Lake 39 mi
See how Great Egg Harbor Inlet stacks up: best striped bass lakes in New Jersey · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in New Jersey · best bluefish lakes in New Jersey · best black sea bass lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 42% measured, 58% 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.