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Fishing Little Egg Harbor: what the data says
19,241-acre bay near Beach Haven. The water tops out around 29 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Striped Bass fishing at Little Egg Harbor
Spring striped bass on Little Egg Harbor hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 9 to 29 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for summer striped bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 29 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Summer Flounder (Fluke) fishing at Little Egg Harbor
Start shallow in spring: summer flounder (fluke) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. They move out to 7 to 29 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. A bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead covers the summer program.
| 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 29 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 8 to 29 ft | midday | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Bluefish fishing at Little Egg Harbor
In spring, bluefish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 29 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for fall bluefish. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 29 ft | dawn & dusk | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Tautog (Blackfish) fishing at Little Egg Harbor
Start shallow in spring: tautog (blackfish) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 29 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall tautog (blackfish). Plan around early morning in the warm months. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 8 to 29 ft | dawn | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 6 to 29 ft | midday | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Black Sea Bass fishing at Little Egg Harbor
In spring, black sea bass run shallow here, mostly 7 to 29 ft. Summer fish stay in 7 to 29 ft, and winter fish hold in 9 to 29 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Summer baits: a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 29 ft | midday & dawn | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 7 to 29 ft | midday & dawn | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 7 to 29 ft | midday | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 15 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Cedar Run inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 3 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
Common questions
How deep is Little Egg Harbor?
Little Egg Harbor is about 29 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 Little Egg Harbor?
Anglers target striped bass, summer flounder (fluke), bluefish, black sea bass, tautog (blackfish) on Little Egg Harbor.
Where is the best fishing spot on Little Egg Harbor?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 24 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 Little Egg Harbor?
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
Great Bay · Lake Absegami · Barnegat Bay · Lake Topanemus · Deal Lake · Mercer County Park 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.