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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.
Nahant Harbor maps at 115 acres behind 2 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.4 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 66% of this chart. Call it 0.8 mi long by 0.4 mi wide at the broadest reach. Broad Sound sits 2 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
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, good in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light 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 | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
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, good 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.
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 (11 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 4 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 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 chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | 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.
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 | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 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.
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 (7 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 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 good 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.
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 25 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 5 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 4 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 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.
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 chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 4 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 6 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 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. 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.