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1,728-acre Plum Island Sound fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (90.45% measured, 98.78% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 32 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.
Drawn out, this is 1,726 acres of water rimmed by 14.7 miles of bank, with 9 islands in the mix. An index of 2.5 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 92% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 3.2 mi long by 1.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. For a second option, Merrimack River lies 6 mi north.
Spring striped bass on Plum Island Sound hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 10 to 32 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 32 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 19 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 10 to 32 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 32 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Spring puts bluefish in skinny water — 3 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 30 ft, wintering in 10 to 32 ft. Summer bluefish concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 19 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (16 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Shallow feeding flat (16 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Spring black sea bass on Plum Island Sound hold shallow, usually 8 to 32 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 8 to 32 ft in summer, 10 to 32 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 11 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run midday and early morning. The summer box starts with a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 32 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 8 to 32 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 8 to 32 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: tautog (blackfish) in 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 9 to 32 ft before dropping to 10 to 32 ft for winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for tautog (blackfish) in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 9 to 32 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 6 to 32 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Early season atlantic mackerel use the shallows, holding in 4 to 32 ft. Even in summer they hold at 6 to 32 ft; winter keeps them in 8 to 32 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 19 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a feather rig or a small vertical jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 32 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 6 to 32 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 5 to 32 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 8 to 32 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Small deep jig |
Come spring, look for atlantic cod tight to the bank in 6 to 32 ft. Through summer count on 8 to 32 ft; the winter hold is 7 to 32 ft. Start at NOAA charted underwater rock. It's a rock pile holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 32 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 8 to 32 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 6 to 32 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (6 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 7 to 32 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Plum Island Sound carries 13 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 20 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 Plum Island Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Plum Island Sound is about 32 ft (10 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 Plum Island Sound.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 11 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 Plum Island Sound 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.
Merrimack River 6 mi, MA/NH · Upper Artichoke Reservoir 8 mi · Chebacco Lake 8 mi · Pleasant Pond 9 mi · Pentucket Pond Outlet Reservoir 10 mi · Rock Pond 10 mi · Baldpate Pond 10 mi · Sandy Bay 11 mi · Manchester Harbor 11 mi · Gloucester Harbor 11 mi · Hampton Harbor 12 mi, NH · Manchester Bay 12 mi
See how Plum Island Sound 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; 90% measured, 8% 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.