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113-acre Quissett Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (70.37% measured, 96.3% assessed), 12 source-traceable charted rocks, Buzzards Bay fish and forage evidence, verified shore and connected ramp access, habitat context and current Massachusetts rules. The water tops out around 20 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Quissett Harbor maps at 113 acres behind 2.5 miles of shoreline — one island included. A middling shoreline index (1.7) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 79% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. If the bite dies, Woods Hole Passage is 2 mi to the southwest.
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer keeps them at 6 to 20 ft, and they winter in 6 to 20 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 8 ft, rated good for summer 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 | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Come spring, look for bluefish tight to the bank in 3 to 20 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 20 ft; the winter hold is 6 to 20 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 8 ft of water and rates good 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 | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 3 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 2 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: summer flounder (fluke) in 4 to 20 ft. The depth story barely changes: 5 to 20 ft through summer, 6 to 20 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 8 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 | 4 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (8 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
In spring, black sea bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 20 ft, and they winter in 6 to 20 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 11 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 | 5 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 100 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Early season tautog (blackfish) use the shallows, holding in 4 to 20 ft. Even in summer they hold at 6 to 20 ft; winter keeps them in 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 11 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 | 4 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 4 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Spring puts scup (porgy) in skinny water — 4 to 20 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 20 ft. Spring scup (porgy) concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 11 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 | 4 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Small hi-lo rig, Micro jig tipped with bait |
| Summer | 3 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Hi-lo porgy rig, Micro metal jig |
| Fall | 4 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Compact vertical jig, Hi-lo rig |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (11 ft) | Small slow vertical jig |
Quissett Harbor also holds winter flounder (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
14 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA charted underwater rock, around 14 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: The 300 Committee Land Trust — The Knob. 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 Quissett Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Quissett Harbor is about 20 ft (6 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 Quissett 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 11 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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 Quissett Harbor 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.
Woods Hole Passage 2 mi · Vineyard Haven Harbor 6 mi · Waquoit Bay 7 mi · Coonamessett Pond 7 mi · Oak Bluffs Harbor 8 mi · Lagoon Pond 8 mi · Ashumet Pond 9 mi · Buzzards Bay 9 mi, MA/RI · Johns Pond 9 mi · Pocasset Harbor 10 mi · Aucoot Cove 11 mi · Popponesset Bay 11 mi
See how Quissett Harbor 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; 70% measured, 26% 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.