Salt water depth chart
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178-acre New Inlet fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (97% measured, 97.8% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 27 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The drawn water covers 178 acres wrapped in 2.2 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Roughly 93% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.8 mi long by 0.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. If the bite dies, Scituate Harbor is 3 mi to the north.
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 27 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 27 ft. NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder is the standout, a gravel shoal at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for spring striped bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light 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 20 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (15 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (17 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (17 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (17 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Come spring, look for bluefish tight to the bank in 3 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 27 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 27 ft. Start at NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder. It's a gravel shoal holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips 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 | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (15 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (15 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (15 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (17 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: summer flounder (fluke) in 5 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 27 ft, wintering in 8 to 27 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, a channel edge in the 17 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for midday and early morning. Summer baits: a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead 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 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (17 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 6 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (17 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 7 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (17 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (17 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
In spring, black sea bass run shallow here, mostly 7 to 27 ft. Summer keeps them at 7 to 27 ft, and they winter in 8 to 27 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring black sea bass. Time it for midday and early morning. You won't need more than a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser 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 | 7 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 7 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 7 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Early season tautog (blackfish) use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Summer is an 8 to 27 ft game here, winter an 8 to 27 ft one. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 8 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab 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 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 5 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Spring puts scup (porgy) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 27 ft, wintering in 6 to 27 ft. Spring scup (porgy) concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. A hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal 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 | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 5 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 5 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 6 to 27 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
New Inlet also holds winter flounder (7 to 27 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
New Inlet carries 10 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, about 17 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 New Inlet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
New Inlet is about 27 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, summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass, tautog (blackfish), scup (porgy), winter flounder on New Inlet. The list combines the water's survey records with habitat-filtered species from broader official evidence; those additions are plausible occurrences, not exact-water abundance or guaranteed catches.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated 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 New Inlet 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.
Scituate Harbor 3 mi · Cohasset Harbor 7 mi · Jacobs Pond 7 mi · Oldham Pond 9 mi · Furnace Pond 9 mi · Duxbury Bay 10 mi · Stetson Pond 11 mi · Burrage Pond - Upper Reservoir 13 mi · East Monponsett Pond 13 mi · West Monponsett Pond 13 mi · Hingham Bay 13 mi · Burrage Pond - Lower Reservoir 13 mi
See how New Inlet stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Massachusetts · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Massachusetts · best winter flounder lakes in Massachusetts · best bluefish lakes in Massachusetts
Browse all Massachusetts fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 97% 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.