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.
757-acre Manchester Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 47 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The outline encloses 756 acres, worked by 6.8 miles of shoreline, with 15 islands in the mix. With a 1.8 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 40% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 1.9 mi end to end and 1 mi across at its widest. Manchester Harbor sits 1 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 14 to 47 ft, wintering in 14 to 47 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 25 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 (10 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 14 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 14 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring bluefish on Manchester Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 25 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black sea bass in 10 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 12 to 47 ft, wintering in 14 to 47 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 16 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 | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 12 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 12 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 14 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Come spring, look for tautog (blackfish) tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 47 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 5 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 (5 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 9 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 14 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
In spring, atlantic mackerel run shallow here, mostly 5 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 47 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 47 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 25 ft, rated good for summer atlantic mackerel. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a feather rig or a small vertical jig 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 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 9 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 7 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 12 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small deep jig |
In spring, atlantic cod run shallow here, mostly 9 to 47 ft. Summer keeps them at 12 to 47 ft, and they winter in 11 to 47 ft. Spring atlantic cod concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 16 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig 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 | 9 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 12 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 8 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 11 to 47 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (16 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Manchester Bay carries 34 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 25 ft down.
Access data: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife — Public Water Access. 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 Manchester Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Manchester Bay is about 47 ft (14 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, black sea bass, tautog (blackfish), atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod on Manchester Bay.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 16 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 Manchester Bay 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.
Manchester Harbor 1 mi · Salem Sound 2 mi · Eagle Island Channel 2 mi · Childrens Island Channel 3 mi · Beverly Harbor 3 mi · Marblehead Channel 4 mi · Chebacco Lake 4 mi · Beverly Channel 4 mi · Marblehead Harbor 5 mi · Salem Harbor 5 mi · Gloucester Harbor 6 mi · Pleasant Pond 6 mi
See how Manchester Bay stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Massachusetts · best bluefish lakes in Massachusetts · best black sea bass lakes in Massachusetts · best tautog (blackfish) lakes in Massachusetts
Browse all Massachusetts fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 100% measured, 0% 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.