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20-acre Bolongo Bay fishing map with NOAA survey-composite MLLW contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable measured chart and habitat spots, six regional fish profiles, two forage calendars, connected ramp access and current DPNR/NPS rules. The water tops out around 28 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to MLLW; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 20 acres of water rimmed by 0.7 miles of bank. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. About 92% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Long Bay, 2 mi northwest of here.
Come spring, look for atlantic tarpon tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 3 to 28 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 18 ft that scores good in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 3 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: jack crevalle in 2 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 28 ft, wintering in 4 to 28 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef, a hard bottom in the 13 ft range, good in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a pencil popper or a casting spoon gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 2 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellowtail snapper in 4 to 28 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 28 ft through summer, 4 to 28 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef, a hard bottom in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro jig or a small paddletail gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 80 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Spring mutton snapper on Bolongo Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 28 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 4 to 28 ft in summer, 5 to 28 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef first on the milk run — a hard bottom near 13 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 5 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 90 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Spring great barracuda on Bolongo Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 28 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 28 ft in summer, 2 to 28 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef — hard bottom, 13 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a fast swimbait or a spoon.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 2 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Early season gray snapper (mangrove snapper) use the shallows, holding in 3 to 22 ft. Summer is a 4 to 28 ft game here, winter a 5 to 28 ft one. The chart's best answer is NOAA NCCOS mapped seagrass — seagrass edge, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small bucktail or a paddletail and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped seagrass (5 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped seagrass (5 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 5 to 28 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef (13 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
8 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef, around 20 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: USVI DPNR Coastal Zone Management — Public Access Map. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for U.S. Virgin Islands waters are set by the U.S. Virgin Islands DPNR (current fisher handbook) — and special regulations can apply to Bolongo Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Bolongo Bay is about 28 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to MLLW; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target atlantic tarpon, jack crevalle, yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, great barracuda, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) on Bolongo Bay. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
NOAA NCCOS mapped linear reef is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For atlantic tarpon, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Bolongo Bay is regulated by the U.S. Virgin Islands DPNR (current fisher handbook). Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Long Bay 2 mi · Jersey Bay 2 mi · Capella Bay 3 mi · East Gregerie Channel 3 mi · Spring Bay 3 mi · Tutu Bay 3 mi · Water Bay 3 mi · Cay Bay 3 mi · Smith Bay 3 mi · Coki Bay 3 mi · Muller Bay 4 mi · Limestone Bay 4 mi
See how Bolongo Bay stacks up: best gray snapper (mangrove snapper) lakes in U.S. Virgin Islands · best atlantic tarpon lakes in U.S. Virgin Islands · best jack crevalle lakes in U.S. Virgin Islands · best yellowtail snapper lakes in U.S. Virgin Islands
Browse all U.S. Virgin Islands fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (MLLW; 100% measured, 0% source-interpolated). How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.