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1,282-acre Sandy Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 94 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 1,280 acres of water rimmed by 9.3 miles of bank — 5 islands included. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.8) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 9% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 1.9 mi long by 1.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. For a second option, Gloucester Harbor lies 6 mi southwest.
When the water first warms, striped bass slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 46 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (46 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (32 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (46 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluefish sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 32 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 (32 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (32 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (32 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
When the water first warms, black sea bass slide up into 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 28 to 94 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 13 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning. Keep a bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 15 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (17 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 20 to 80 ft | midday | Dodge Rock (20 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 28 to 94 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (64 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Spring puts tautog (blackfish) in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 35 ft, wintering in 30 to 70 ft. Spring tautog (blackfish) concentrate at NOAA charted underwater rock, a prime-rated rock pile around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (13 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 30 to 70 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (64 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
When the water first warms, atlantic mackerel slide up into 5 to 45 ft. Summer is a 15 to 80 ft game here, winter a 24 to 94 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 46 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a feather rig or a small vertical jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (32 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (46 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (46 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 24 to 94 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (46 ft) | Small deep jig |
Spring atlantic cod on Sandy Bay hold shallow, usually 19 to 94 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 24 to 94 ft in summer, 21 to 94 ft once it turns cold. Put Dodge Rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 20 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 19 to 94 ft | dawn | Dodge Rock (20 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 24 to 94 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (64 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 17 to 94 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (17 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 21 to 94 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (22 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
Sandy Bay carries 38 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at NOAA charted underwater rock, about 64 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 Sandy Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Sandy Bay is about 94 ft (29 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 Sandy Bay.
NOAA charted underwater rock is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for black sea bass 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 Sandy 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.
Gloucester Harbor 6 mi · Manchester Harbor 11 mi · Plum Island Sound 11 mi · Chebacco Lake 11 mi · Manchester Bay 12 mi · Salem Sound 14 mi · Eagle Island Channel 14 mi · Childrens Island Channel 15 mi · Pleasant Pond 15 mi · Beverly Harbor 15 mi · Marblehead Channel 16 mi · Merrimack River 16 mi, MA/NH
See how Sandy Bay 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; 100% measured, 0% 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.