Garden State South Reef — public NJ reef 5.1 nm off Spray Beach
Garden State South is a public NJDEP reef 5.1 nautical miles off Spray Beach. The May 2022 map lists 0.7 sq mi and 56–65 ft. Same 5.1 nm figure on reeflocs.pdf. Not Garden State North.
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
- Garden State South Reef Site
- Distance offshore
- 5.1 nm off Spray Beach (reeflocs.pdf and May 2022 map)
- Reef area
- 0.7 square miles (May 2022 map)
- Depth range
- 56–65 ft (May 2022 map); legend bands 50–60 and 60–70 ft
- NE corner (DGPS)
- 39°33.820′ N, 74°05.750′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- NW corner (DGPS)
- 39°33.800′ N, 74°07.200′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- SE corner (DGPS)
- 39°33.330′ N, 74°05.850′ W — reeflocs.pdf
- SW corner (DGPS)
- 39°33.330′ N, 74°07.350′ W — reeflocs.pdf
Garden State South is the public Spray Beach / south-LBI ocean reef. It is not Garden State North. Harvey Cedars boats that punch the wrong box will miss both sites.
Official box
5.1 nm off Spray Beach NJ on both reeflocs.pdf and the May 2022 map. Map: 0.7 sq mi, 56–65 ft, not for navigational purposes. Legend: concrete, military vehicles, reef balls, ships, tires.
| Corner | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|
| NE | 39°33.820′ N | 74°05.750′ W |
| NW | 39°33.800′ N | 74°07.200′ W |
| SE | 39°33.330′ N | 74°05.850′ W |
| SW | 39°33.330′ N | 74°07.350′ W |
Named drops (sample)
The state table is mostly tire units and later reef balls. Named vessels we can cite without dumping the rest of the PDF:
- 50-foot crew boat The Rhino, May 27, 1988 — 39°33.690′ N, 74°06.120′ W
- 80-foot deck barge Miller (crane booms), October 10, 1989 — 39°33.620′ N, 74°06.530′ W
- 150-foot deck barge Starcraft, May 11, 1994 — 39°33.530′ N, 74°06.310′ W
- 65-foot commercial fishing boat Holgate I, October 25, 1994 — 39°33.400′ N, 74°06.450′ W
- 44-foot Coast Guard cutter VHFC, May 16, 1995 — 39°33.500′ N, 74°05.990′ W
- 44-foot Coast Guard cutter Ocean Wreck Divers I, July 11, 1995 — 39°33.430′ N, 74°05.970′ W
We are not copying the remaining tire-unit and reef-ball rows. Open the Garden State South PDF for a specific ID.
Seasons
Same statewide 2026 tautog / sea bass / fluke windows as every other ocean reef: NJ saltwater seasons 2026. Registry: NJ saltwater fishing rules.
North of here: Garden State North, Barnegat Light Reef. South of LBI: Little Egg Reef.
Sources checked
Electronics and comms, not $10 staples
Chart + sonar for a 7-inch dash
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 5.1 nm off Spray Beach
Garmin inReach Mini 2
$349.99 on Garmin when checked; Amazon listing for the Mini 2 also live