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2,066-acre Portsmouth Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (75.22% measured, 99.32% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 84 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 2,063 acres of water rimmed by 29.6 miles of bank, with 33 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 4.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. About 45% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.6 mi with a 1.9-mi widest point. For a second option, Piscataqua River lies 1 mi northwest.
Come spring, look for striped bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 48 ft of water and rates good come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (48 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (48 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluefish in 3 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates good for bluefish in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Come spring, look for atlantic mackerel tight to the bank in 5 to 45 ft. They move out to 15 to 80 ft in summer and finish the year down in 21 to 84 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 48 ft that scores good in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A feather rig or a small vertical jig 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 | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (48 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (48 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 21 to 84 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (48 ft) | Small deep jig |
Early season atlantic cod use the shallows, holding in 17 to 84 ft. Even in summer they hold at 21 to 84 ft; winter keeps them in 19 to 84 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 24 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig 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 | 17 to 84 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 21 to 84 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 15 to 84 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 19 to 84 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (24 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Start shallow in spring: atlantic herring sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 50 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a herring feather rig or a small silver jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (48 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (48 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
Early season winter flounder use the shallows, holding in 2 to 18 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 27 ft that grades good for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a light scented jig worked slowly and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (4 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | midday | open water | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
38 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA charted underwater rock, around 53 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: New Hampshire Fish & Game — Public Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Hampshire waters are set by the New Hampshire Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Portsmouth Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Hampshire fishing regulations →
Portsmouth Harbor is about 84 ft (26 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, atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod, atlantic herring, winter flounder on Portsmouth Harbor. 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 24 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Portsmouth Harbor is regulated by the New Hampshire Fish and Game. Check the official New Hampshire regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Piscataqua River 1 mi, NH · Little Harbor 1 mi, NH · EEL POND 6 mi, NH · Gosport Harbor 8 mi, ME · Bellamy River 10 mi, NH · Cape Neddick Harbor 10 mi, ME · Squamscott River 11 mi, NH · EXETER RESERVOIR 12 mi, NH · Hampton Harbor 13 mi, NH · BARBADOES POND 14 mi, NH · Willand Pond 14 mi, NH · Bellamy Reservoir 15 mi, NH
Browse all New Hampshire fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 75% measured, 24% 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.