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382-acre Marblehead Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.82% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 37 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.
Drawn out, this is 381 acres of water rimmed by 6.2 miles of bank, with 48 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 2.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 32% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 1.5 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Marblehead Channel, 1 mi east of here.
Early season striped bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 11 to 37 ft game here, winter an 11 to 37 ft one. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 27 ft, good for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig and you're in the game.
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 (20 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 11 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
In spring, bluefish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 37 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 27 ft, rated good for summer bluefish. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips 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 | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (20 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 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 | 11 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Early season black sea bass use the shallows, holding in 9 to 37 ft. Even in summer they hold at 9 to 37 ft; winter keeps them in 11 to 37 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 14 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is midday and early morning. Tie on a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser and you're in the game.
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 37 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 9 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 9 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Start shallow in spring: tautog (blackfish) sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 37 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 14 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab 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 | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 7 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Spring atlantic mackerel on Marblehead Harbor hold shallow, usually 4 to 37 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 7 to 37 ft in summer, 9 to 37 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 27 ft, good for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a feather rig or a small vertical jig.
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 | 4 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 7 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 6 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 9 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small deep jig |
When the water first warms, atlantic cod slide up into 7 to 37 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 9 to 37 ft, winter 8 to 37 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 14 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig 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 | 7 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 9 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 7 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 8 to 37 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (14 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Marblehead Harbor carries 27 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 27 ft down.
Access data: Massachusetts public water-access inventory. 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 Marblehead Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Marblehead Harbor is about 37 ft (11 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 Marblehead Harbor.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Marblehead 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.
Marblehead Channel 1 mi · Salem Harbor 2 mi · Childrens Island Channel 2 mi · Eagle Island Channel 3 mi · Beverly Harbor 3 mi · Beverly Channel 3 mi · Salem Sound 3 mi · Manchester Bay 5 mi · Nahant Bay 5 mi · Manchester Harbor 6 mi · Sluice Pond 6 mi · Lynn Harbor 6 mi
See how Marblehead Harbor 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.