Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
1,885-acre Head of the Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.28% measured, 100% assessed), seven charted fishing features, Nantucket fish and forage evidence, verified refuge and connected ramp access, dynamic closure context and current Massachusetts rules. The water tops out around 25 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Head of The Harbor maps at 1,884 acres behind 7.1 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.2), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. About 77% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 2.2 mi long by 1.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. If the bite dies, Nantucket Harbor is 4 mi to the southwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 16 ft range, good in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 (16 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring bluefish on Head of The Harbor hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 16 ft, good for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips.
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 (16 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 4 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 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. Summer keeps them at 6 to 25 ft, and they winter in 8 to 25 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for summer summer flounder (fluke). Time it for midday and early morning. 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 (16 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black sea bass in 6 to 25 ft. The depth story barely changes: 6 to 25 ft through summer, 8 to 25 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 9 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for midday and early morning. 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 | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Come spring, look for tautog (blackfish) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Through summer count on 7 to 25 ft; the winter hold is 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 9 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 underwater rock (9 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Start shallow in spring: scup (porgy) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 25 ft covers summer, 6 to 25 ft covers winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for scup (porgy) in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. 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 underwater rock (9 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 4 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Head of The Harbor also holds winter flounder (7 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 13 structure features on Head of The Harbor; the deepest is Shallow feeding flat at about 20 ft.
Access data: The Trustees of Reservations — Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge. 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 Head of The Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Head of The Harbor is about 25 ft (8 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 Head of The 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 9 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 Head of The 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.
Nantucket Harbor 4 mi · Madaket Harbor 10 mi · Stage Harbor 23 mi · Cape Poge Bay 23 mi · Katama Bay 24 mi · Chatham Harbor 24 mi · Hyannis Harbor 24 mi · Edgartown Harbor 25 mi · Long Pond (Yarmouth) 25 mi · Stillwater Pond 26 mi · White Pond (Harwich) 26 mi · Centerville Harbor 26 mi
See how Head of The 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; 99% measured, 1% 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.