Manasquan Inlet Reef — public NJ reef 1.5 nm off the inlet
Manasquan Inlet Reef is a public NJDEP site about 1.5 nautical miles offshore. The August 2021 map lists 1.0 sq mi and 65–82 ft. Named drops include the 140-foot Carters Creek and the tug Ranger — not secret wrecks.
By Sebastian · Published September 14, 2026
Public-source briefing only. We have not surveyed this water. DEP reef maps are marked not for navigational purposes. Confirm corners, depths, and deployments on the current NJ Fish & Wildlife reef PDFs and a live NOAA chart before you leave the dock.
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What the state published
- Official name
- Manasquan Inlet Reef
- Distance offshore
- 1.5 nm (August 2021 map)
- Reef area
- 1.0 square mile (August 2021 map)
- Depth range
- 65–82 ft (August 2021 map)
- Tuna Mania Precast Reef
- Concrete precast forms, June 22, 2017 — 40°05.210′ N, 73°59.580′ W (state table)
- Captain Frank Rose / Mt. Sinai
- 85-foot trawler, June 27, 2017 — 40°04.960′ N, 73°59.400′ W (state table)
- Geiges Memorial / Ranger
- 65-foot tug, January 14, 2021 — 40°04.784′ N, 73°59.420′ W (state table)
- Carters Creek
- 140-foot bunker purse seine boat, May 19, 2021 — 40°05.201′ N, 73°59.810′ W on the reef PDF
Manasquan Inlet Reef is the public hard-bottom pile Point Pleasant and Manasquan boats actually have a state map for. It is not a secret number, and it is not the inlet channel.
What the state published
The August 2021 NJDEP map: 1.5 nm offshore, 1.0 square mile, 65–82 ft, marked not for navigational purposes.
Unlike Axel Carlson or Barnegat Light, the statewide reeflocs.pdf sheet does not print a four-corner DGPS box labeled Manasquan Inlet Reef. If a blog gives you four corners, open the Manasquan Inlet Reef PDF instead.
Named drops (state table, not a forum)
- Tuna Mania Precast Reef — concrete forms, June 22, 2017
- Captain Frank Rose Wreck — 85-foot trawler Mt. Sinai, June 27, 2017
- MAHER Terminals Reef 1 and 2 — precast concrete, fall 2020
- Geiges Memorial Reef — 65-foot tug Ranger, January 14, 2021 (Manasquan River Marlin and Tuna Club)
- Carters Creek — 140-foot bunker boat, May 19, 2021 (Greater Point Pleasant Charter Boat Association and The Sportfishing Fund)
NJDEP’s program page also notes Lazar Middle School reef balls (June 2022) on this site. We have not dived any of it.
Fish, seasons, inlet traffic
DEP reef-program habitat language is black sea bass, tautog, and lobster. That is not a catch report from this GPS.
2026 legal harvest windows (NJDEP Attention Anglers / seasons chart — verify before you keep a fish): tautog is closed in March and from May through July; black sea bass opens May 15; summer flounder is May 4–September 25. Full dated table: NJ saltwater seasons 2026.
The inlet is separate. Use a current NOAA chart and USCG notices. Bring a working VHF.
Neighbors: Sea Girt Reef, Axel Carlson, Shark River Reef (much farther offshore).
Sources checked
Electronics and comms, not $10 staples
Chart + sonar for a short inlet run
Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv
$999.99 when checked on Amazon for the GT54 transducer bundle
Fixed-mount VHF with GPS/DSC
Icom IC-M330G
$228.12 when checked on Amazon for the black GPS model
Handheld VHF backup in inlet traffic
Standard Horizon HX890
$269.99 when checked on Amazon for the navy listing