Every Boat Ramp on Barnegat Bay

About Barnegat Bay

Barnegat Bay is a shallow, highly productive estuary stretching along the central New Jersey coast behind the barrier islands of Long Beach Island and Island Beach. The bay's extensive seagrass beds and marsh-lined shores create a nursery for countless species, making it one of the most important fishing grounds on the Jersey Shore. Striped bass cruise the channels and flats from spring through fall, while fluke and bluefish move through the inlets connecting the bay to the Atlantic Ocean.

Numerous public boat ramps and marinas line the western shore of Barnegat Bay from Toms River south to Little Egg Harbor. The bay's shallow average depth of just six feet makes it ideal for small boats, kayaks, and wade fishing along the expansive sand and mud flats. Crabbing is a beloved summer tradition here, and winter flounder provide early-season action in the deeper channels. Barnegat Inlet at the northern end offers access to offshore fishing grounds for those seeking bluefish, striped bass, and other ocean species.

Nearest towns: Barnegat Light, Toms River, Seaside Heights