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211-acre Little Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (98.38% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 27 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's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 210 acres wrapped in 3.6 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 90% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 1 mi, about 0.6 mi across. Its nearest charted neighbour, Portsmouth Harbor, is 1 mi to the north.
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 27 ft, wintering in 8 to 27 ft. Summer striped bass concentrate at Little Harbor channel edge, a prime-rated channel edge around 11 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig 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 20 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (15 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 27 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted breakwater: a jetty / riprap around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips 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 | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (15 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (8 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (15 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Start shallow in spring: atlantic mackerel sit in 3 to 27 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 27 ft covers summer, 7 to 27 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Little Harbor channel edge, a channel edge in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic mackerel in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a feather rig or a small vertical 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 | 3 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (15 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 5 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 4 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 7 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | midday | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Small deep jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic cod in 5 to 27 ft. The depth story barely changes: 7 to 27 ft through summer, 6 to 27 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic 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 27 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 7 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted rock bottom (8 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 5 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 6 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Come spring, look for atlantic herring tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 27 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 27 ft. Start at NOAA charted underwater rock. It's a rock pile holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A herring feather rig or a small silver 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 & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 7 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
Spring puts winter flounder in skinny water — 2 to 18 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 27 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Little Harbor channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for spring winter flounder. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A light scented jig worked slowly 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 | 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 7 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | midday | Little Harbor channel edge (11 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
Count 36 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, sits near 26 ft.
Access data: City of Portsmouth — Peirce Island. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Hampshire waters are set by the New Hampshire Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Little Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Little Harbor is about 27 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, atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod, atlantic herring, winter flounder on Little 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 7 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Little Harbor is regulated by the New Hampshire Fish and Game. Check the official New Hampshire regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Portsmouth Harbor 1 mi, NH/ME · Piscataqua River 2 mi · EEL POND 5 mi · Gosport Harbor 8 mi, ME · Bellamy River 10 mi · Squamscott River 10 mi · Cape Neddick Harbor 11 mi, ME · EXETER RESERVOIR 12 mi · Hampton Harbor 12 mi · BARBADOES POND 14 mi · Willand Pond 15 mi · Bellamy Reservoir 15 mi
Browse all New Hampshire fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 98% measured, 2% 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.