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3,278-acre Nantasket Roads fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.45% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 79 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 3,273 acres wrapped in 12.5 miles of bank, with 3 islands in the mix. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. About 13% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 3.1 mi end to end and 2.6 mi across at its widest. Sculpin Ledge Channel sits 2 mi northwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 25 to 60 ft, wintering in 20 to 50 ft. Summer striped bass concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 55 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (55 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 16 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring puts black sea bass in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 60 ft, wintering in 24 to 79 ft. Spring black sea bass concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 23 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. A bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (23 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (23 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 20 to 79 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (23 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 24 to 79 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (47 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Spring tautog (blackfish) on Nantasket Roads hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 30 to 70 ft. Put Dangerous NOAA charted wreck first on the milk run — a wreck near 13 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (13 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (47 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Start shallow in spring: atlantic mackerel sit in 5 to 45 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 79 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 79 ft. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 16 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 79 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (16 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 20 to 79 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (55 ft) | Small deep jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic cod in 16 to 79 ft. The depth story barely changes: 20 to 79 ft through summer, 18 to 79 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 23 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 16 to 79 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (23 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 20 to 79 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (23 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 14 to 79 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (23 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 18 to 79 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (23 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Structure-wise the chart holds 75 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 55 ft.
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 Nantasket Roads specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Nantasket Roads is about 79 ft (24 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 Nantasket Roads.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 23 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 Nantasket Roads 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.
Sculpin Ledge Channel 2 mi · President Roads 2 mi · Hingham Bay 2 mi · Broad Sound 6 mi · Nahant Harbor 8 mi · Scarsboro Pond 8 mi · Jamaica Pond 9 mi · Cohasset Harbor 9 mi · Nahant Bay 10 mi · Lynn Harbor 10 mi · Ponkapoag Pond 11 mi · Jacobs Pond 11 mi
See how Nantasket Roads 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; 99% measured, 1% 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.