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115-acre Nahant Harbor 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 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.
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 11 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Early season bluefish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 20 ft. Summer is a 4 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 11 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 4 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Start shallow in spring: black sea bass sit in 6 to 25 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 6 to 25 ft covers summer, 8 to 25 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 7 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
When the water first warms, tautog (blackfish) slide up into 5 to 25 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 7 to 25 ft, winter 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Spring puts atlantic mackerel in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 25 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 25 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for summer atlantic mackerel. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A feather rig or a small vertical jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 4 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 6 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Small deep jig |
Spring puts atlantic cod in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 6 to 25 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 25 ft. Spring atlantic cod concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 4 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 6 to 25 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
15 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 21 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Nahant Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Nahant 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, black sea bass, tautog (blackfish), atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod on Nahant Harbor.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Nahant 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.
Broad Sound 2 mi · Nahant Bay 2 mi · Lynn Harbor 3 mi · Sluice Pond 5 mi · President Roads 6 mi · Marblehead Harbor 7 mi · Salem Harbor 7 mi · Sculpin Ledge Channel 7 mi · Nantasket Roads 8 mi · Marblehead Channel 8 mi · Beverly Channel 9 mi · Childrens Island Channel 9 mi
See how Nahant 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 or 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.