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158-acre Wells Harbor 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 19 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.
On the chart, Wells Harbor draws 157 acres inside 10.5 miles of shoreline, broken up by 6 islands. A development index of 6 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 1.1 mi long by 0.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. For a second option, Cape Porpoise Harbor lies 7 mi east.
When the water first warms, striped bass slide up into 5 to 19 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 6 to 19 ft, winter 6 to 19 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 15 ft of water and rates good come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig rigged through the warm months.
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 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | 3-6 inch paddletail, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Pencil popper, Baitfish swimbait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Start shallow in spring: bluefish sit in 3 to 19 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 19 ft covers summer, 6 to 19 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates good for bluefish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips 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 | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | open water | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
When the water first warms, atlantic mackerel slide up into 2 to 19 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 4 to 19 ft, winter 5 to 19 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 15 ft that scores good in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a feather rig or a small vertical jig rigged through the warm months.
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 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Mackerel feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Summer | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Feather rig, Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Compact silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Small deep jig |
Spring atlantic cod on Wells Harbor hold shallow, usually 4 to 19 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 5 to 19 ft in summer, 4 to 19 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 heavy metal jig or a large soft-plastic jig.
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 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 100 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Diamond jig, Heavy bucktail |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 45 to 180 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large soft-plastic jig |
| Fall | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Diamond jig, Bucktail with teaser |
| Winter | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 220 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Heavy vertical jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic herring in 4 to 19 ft. The depth story barely changes: 6 to 19 ft through summer, 6 to 19 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a herring feather rig or a small silver 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 | 4 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
Spring winter flounder on Wells Harbor hold shallow, usually 2 to 18 ft. They move out to 5 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 19 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 15 ft that grades good for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a light scented jig worked slowly.
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 18 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm, Scented grub on a light jig |
| Summer | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Light scented jig worked slowly |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Small bucktail + worm, Scented bottom jig |
| Winter | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Small bucktail tipped with worm |
Wells Harbor carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 16 ft down.
Access data: Maine DMR — Kittery to Cape Elizabeth coastal anglers guide. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maine waters are set by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Wells Harbor specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Wells Harbor is about 19 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, atlantic mackerel, atlantic cod, atlantic herring, winter flounder on Wells 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 5 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic cod 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 Wells Harbor is regulated by the Maine DMR (saltwater recreational fishing). Check the official Maine regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Cape Porpoise Harbor 7 mi · Stage Island Harbor 8 mi · Goosefare Bay 9 mi · Cape Neddick Harbor 10 mi · Curtis Cove 10 mi · Wood Island Harbor 14 mi · Shaker Pond 15 mi · LILY POND (STRAFFORD) 17 mi, NH · Saco Bay 18 mi · Willand Pond 18 mi, NH · Bellamy River 19 mi, NH · Piscataqua River 19 mi, NH
See how Wells Harbor stacks up: best striped bass lakes in Maine · best winter flounder lakes in Maine · best bluefish lakes in Maine · best atlantic herring lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps. 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.