Cape May Reef — public NJ reef 8.5 nm off Cape May
Cape May Reef is a public NJDEP site 8.5 nm off Cape May. The August 2021 map lists 5.4 sq mi and 42–74 ft, including Red Oak and the 2019 caisson gate. Ignore the program page’s 39° F/V CAT line.
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.
Affiliate disclosure: Cast & Cruise is reader-supported. We may earn a commission on purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we would buy ourselves.
What the state published
- Official name
- Cape May Reef Site
- Distance offshore
- 8.5 nm off Cape May (reeflocs.pdf and August 2021 map)
- Reef area
- 5.4 square miles (August 2021 map)
- Depth range
- 42–74 ft (August 2021 map)
- NE corner (DGPS)
- 38°53.450′ N, 74°39.430′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- NW corner (DGPS)
- 38°53.970′ N, 74°40.620′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- SE corner (DGPS)
- 38°50.070′ N, 74°42.250′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- SW corner (DGPS)
- 38°50.670′ N, 74°43.250′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- F/V CAT (2023)
- 90-foot ex-scallop steel boat, August 11, 2023 — South Jersey Artificial Reef Association and The Sport Fishing Fund (NJDEP program page). That page’s latitude starts with 39°, about a degree too far north for this 38°N box; we are not copying it.
Cape May Reef is the public ocean box off the Cape. It is not Wildwood, and it is not Delaware Bay. Cape May boats do not need a whispered GPS for the site. They need the current PDF.
Official box
8.5 nm off Cape May NJ. August 2021 map (three sheets): 5.4 sq mi, 42–74 ft, not for navigational purposes. Legend: concrete, dredge rock, military vehicles, reef balls, ships, steel, subway cars, tires.
| Corner | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|
| NE | 38°53.450′ N | 74°39.430′ W |
| NW | 38°53.970′ N | 74°40.620′ W |
| SE | 38°50.070′ N | 74°42.250′ W |
| SW | 38°50.670′ N | 74°43.250′ W |
Named ships (sample)
- 106-foot clam dredge Laita, October 16, 1986 — 38°50.680′ N, 74°42.970′ W
- 95-foot Coast Guard cutter Cape Strait, September 9, 1993 — 38°51.060′ N, 74°42.130′ W
- 157-foot Coast Guard buoy tender Red Oak, September 13, 1999 — 38°53.130′ N, 74°40.820′ W
- 83-foot Coast Guard cutter Point Swift, March 30, 2000 — 38°53.620′ N, 74°40.600′ W
- 194-foot ferry Elizabeth (AKA Hooter’s Ferry), August 3, 2005 — 38°50.680′ N, 74°43.080′ W
- Caisson gate, 140 × 25 × 40 ft (Cape May Party and Charter Boat Association wreck), September 25, 2019 — 38°50.699′ N, 74°43.023′ W
F/V CAT — use the PDF box, not the mixed program-page line
NJDEP’s program page lists F/V CAT, a 90-foot decommissioned steel scallop boat, August 11, 2023, on “Cap May Reef,” sponsored by the South Jersey Artificial Reef Association and The Sport Fishing Fund. That is a real drop date and hull. The same page then prints a 39°N latitude — about a degree too far north for this box.
Cape May Reef does not sit at 39°N. The August 2021 PDF box is 38°50–54′ N. We are not copying that program-page GPS. Confirm CAT on a later DEP file or the interactive deployment map before you mark it.
Seasons
Statewide 2026 ocean windows: NJ saltwater seasons 2026. This is ocean, so 2026 fluke is 3 at 18 in, not the Delaware Bay 17-inch rule.
North: Wildwood Reef. Bay: Delaware Bay Reef.
Sources checked
Electronics and comms, not $10 staples
Chart + sonar on a 5.4 sq mi box
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
Backup 8.5 nm off Cape May
Garmin inReach Mini 2
$349.99 on Garmin when checked; Amazon listing for the Mini 2 also live