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358-acre Stage Harbor fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (98.27% measured, 100% assessed), charted rock and wreck structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 21 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 358 acres wrapped in 6.7 miles of bank. A development index of 2.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Call it 1.5 mi long by 0.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. Its nearest charted neighbour, Chatham Harbor, is 2 mi to the northeast.
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 21 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 21 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for summer striped bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 3 to 20 ft. Summer is a 4 to 21 ft game here, winter a 6 to 21 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (3 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 4 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 21 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (3 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Start shallow in spring: summer flounder (fluke) sit in 4 to 21 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 21 ft covers summer, 6 to 21 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 10 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed) or a gulp grub on jighead until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail + Gulp swimming mullet, Hi-lo rig + squid strip |
| Summer | 5 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Bucktail (1-3 oz by drift speed), Gulp grub on jighead |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Heavier bucktail on the lumps, Big Gulp 6" grub |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Slow bottom rig + strip |
Spring puts black sea bass in skinny water — 5 to 21 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 21 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 21 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring black sea bass. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months. A bucktail + grub or a diamond jig + squid teaser covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Hi-lo rig + squid, 1-2 oz bucktail + Gulp |
| Summer | 5 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Bucktail + grub, Diamond jig + squid teaser |
| Fall | 5 to 21 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | 3-4 oz vertical jig (deep), Double-teaser rig |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Heavy hi-lo rig on deep wrecks |
Spring tautog (blackfish) on Stage Harbor hold shallow, usually 4 to 21 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 6 to 21 ft in summer, 6 to 21 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 5 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Tog jig + green crab half, Bare jig + clam (early) |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | 1/2-1 oz tog jig + crab |
| Fall | 4 to 21 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Tog jig + whole green crab, Old-school rig + double crab (deep) |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Heavy jig + crab on deep structure |
Stage Harbor carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 10 ft down.
Access data: Town of Chatham — Town Landing/Ramp Usage (permit and seasonal restrictions apply). 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 Stage Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Stage Harbor is about 21 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) on Stage Harbor.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for summer flounder (fluke) in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Stage 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.
Chatham Harbor 2 mi · Stillwater Pond 3 mi · Pleasant Bay 4 mi · Mill Pond 6 mi · Little Pleasant Bay 6 mi · Long Pond (Harwich) 7 mi · Little Cliff Pond 7 mi · Hinckleys Pond 7 mi · Cliff Pond 7 mi · Sheep Pond 7 mi · White Pond (Harwich) 9 mi · Upper Millpond 9 mi
See how Stage Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Massachusetts · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes in Massachusetts · best bluefish lakes in Massachusetts · best black sea bass lakes in Massachusetts
Browse all Massachusetts fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 98% measured, 2% 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.