Shark River Reef — public NJ reef ~15 nm off Manasquan
Shark River Reef is a public NJDEP offshore reef. reeflocs.pdf says 15.6 nm off Manasquan; the August 2021 map says 14.8 nm, 0.8 sq mi, and 119–127 ft. This is not the Shark River inlet.
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
- Shark River Reef Site
- Distance offshore
- 15.6 nm off Manasquan on reeflocs.pdf; 14.8 nm on the August 2021 map
- Reef area
- 0.8 square miles (August 2021 map)
- Depth range
- 119–127 ft (August 2021 map); legend bands 110–120 and 120–130 ft
- NE corner (DGPS)
- 40°07.330′ N, 73°41.080′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- NW corner (DGPS)
- 40°07.330′ N, 73°41.800′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- SE corner (DGPS)
- 40°06.200′ N, 73°41.080′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- SW corner (DGPS)
- 40°06.200′ N, 73°41.800′ W — reeflocs.pdf
Shark River Reef is the offshore public box, not the river. If you only have a 16-foot bay boat, this is probably the wrong page.
Official box
reeflocs.pdf: 15.6 nm off Manasquan NJ. August 2021 map: 14.8 nm, 0.8 sq mi, 119–127 ft, not for navigational purposes. Legend includes concrete, dredge rock, ships, and subway cars.
| Corner | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|
| NE | 40°07.330′ N | 73°41.080′ W |
| NW | 40°07.330′ N | 73°41.800′ W |
| SE | 40°06.200′ N | 73°41.080′ W |
| SW | 40°06.200′ N | 73°41.800′ W |
The PDF table is mostly USACE dredge-rock cells. We are not pasting a thousand rock IDs.
Gear and seasons
This is a comm-and-plotter trip: fixed-mount VHF with DSC, current charts, PFDs, fuel margin. Handheld-only is a bad plan 15 nm out.
2026 keep-windows (still the inshore digest — distance does not write you a new season): NJ saltwater seasons 2026.
Closer public reefs: Sandy Hook, Sea Girt, Manasquan Inlet Reef.
Sources checked
Electronics and comms, not $10 staples
Chartplotter for an offshore box
Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv
$999.99 when checked on Amazon for the GT54 transducer bundle
Fixed-mount DSC VHF
Icom IC-M330G
$228.12 when checked on Amazon for the black GPS model
Satellite backup ~15 nm out
Garmin inReach Mini 2
$349.99 on Garmin when checked; Amazon listing for the Mini 2 also live