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145-acre Popponesset Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo contours (99.36% measured, 100% assessed), measured rock, pier and depth-transition spots, seven fish profiles, three forage calendars, two resident-permit launches, exact water-quality context and current Massachusetts rules. The water tops out around 8 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 145 acres wrapped in 2.3 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. Waquoit Bay sits 4 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates good for striped bass in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig 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 | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Spring bluefish on Popponesset Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 5 ft that grades good for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips.
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 | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Start shallow in spring: scup (porgy) sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a hi-lo porgy rig or a micro metal 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 | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (3 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (3 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (3 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (3 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
In spring, summer flounder (fluke) run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Summer summer flounder (fluke) concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 5 ft. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead 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 | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Start shallow in spring: winter flounder sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 1 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted pier, a dock line in about 2 ft of water that rates good for winter flounder in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a light scented jig worked slowly 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 | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (5 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black sea bass in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser 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 | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (3 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (3 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (3 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (3 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Popponesset Bay also holds tautog (blackfish) (2 to 8 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Popponesset Bay carries 8 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 5 ft down.
Access data: Town of Mashpee Harbormaster FAQ, official address and FY2026/27 sticker application; mapped slipway coordinate cross-check. 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 Popponesset Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Popponesset Bay is about 8 ft (2 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, scup (porgy), summer flounder (fluke), winter flounder, black sea bass, tautog (blackfish) on Popponesset Bay.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for scup (porgy) 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 Popponesset 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.
Waquoit Bay 4 mi · Johns Pond 4 mi · Lovells Pond 4 mi · Santuit Pond 4 mi · Ashumet Pond 5 mi · Mashpee Pond 5 mi · Long Pond (Barnstable) 5 mi · Coonamessett Pond 6 mi · Hamblin Pond 6 mi · Middle Pond 6 mi · Centerville Harbor 6 mi · Mystic Lake 7 mi
See how Popponesset Bay 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; 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.