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1,040-acre Pleasant Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (69.78% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 24 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Pleasant Bay maps at 1,039 acres behind 6.7 miles of shoreline. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 69% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.1 mi with a 1.3-mi widest point. Stillwater Pond sits 2 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 7 to 24 ft, wintering in 7 to 24 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 10 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Spring bluefish on Pleasant Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 24 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 10 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 4 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 24 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 5 to 24 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 24 ft, and they winter in 7 to 24 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for summer summer flounder (fluke). Time it for midday and early morning. You won't need more than a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 5 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 6 to 24 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black sea bass in 6 to 24 ft. The depth story barely changes: 6 to 24 ft through summer, 7 to 24 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for midday and early morning. Summer baits: a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 6 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 6 to 24 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Come spring, look for tautog (blackfish) tight to the bank in 5 to 24 ft. Through summer count on 7 to 24 ft; the winter hold is 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 5 to 24 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
13 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 10 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Town of Chatham — public landing and boat-launch facility. 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 Pleasant Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Pleasant Bay is about 24 ft (7 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) on Pleasant Bay.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. 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 Pleasant Bay 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.
Stillwater Pond 2 mi · Little Pleasant Bay 2 mi · Little Cliff Pond 3 mi · Cliff Pond 3 mi · Mill Pond 3 mi · Chatham Harbor 4 mi · Long Pond (Harwich) 4 mi · Stage Harbor 4 mi · Sheep Pond 5 mi · Hinckleys Pond 6 mi · Upper Millpond 7 mi · Walkers Pond 8 mi
See how Pleasant Bay stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Massachusetts · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Massachusetts · best bluefish lakes in Massachusetts · best black sea bass lakes in Massachusetts
Browse all Massachusetts fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 70% measured, 30% 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.