Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeSalt water depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
68-acre Brewers Bay fishing map with NOAA survey-composite MLLW contours (91.74% 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 74 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Brewers Bay draws 68 acres inside 1.3 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.1) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. 36% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.5 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Hawksbill Cove, 1 mi south of here.
Spring atlantic tarpon on Brewers Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 8 ft, good for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
Spring puts jack crevalle in skinny water — 2 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 8 ft, rated good for spring jack crevalle. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A pencil popper or a casting spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
In spring, yellowtail snapper run shallow here, mostly 8 to 60 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 74 ft. NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement is the standout, a hard bottom at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for spring yellowtail snapper. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a micro jig or a small paddletail most summer days.
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 | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 11 to 74 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 80 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Come spring, look for mutton snapper tight to the bank in 8 to 65 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 74 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 74 ft. Start at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement. It's a hard bottom holding about 16 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A heavy bucktail or a vertical jig 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 | 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 9 to 74 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 74 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 12 to 74 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 90 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
When the water first warms, great barracuda slide up into 2 to 45 ft. Summer is a 3 to 55 ft game here, winter a 5 to 65 ft one. Start at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement. It's a hard bottom holding about 16 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a fast swimbait or a spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
When the water first warms, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) slide up into 3 to 22 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small bucktail or a paddletail rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (8 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Count 11 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Surveyed channel edge, sits near 19 ft.
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 Brewers Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Brewers Bay is about 74 ft (23 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 Brewers 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 colonized pavement is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Brewers 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.
Hawksbill Cove 1 mi · Lindbergh Bay 1 mi · Krum Bay 2 mi · West Gregerie Channel 2 mi · Crown Bay 2 mi · Santa Maria Bay 2 mi · Druif Bay 2 mi · Flamingo Bay 2 mi · Limestone Bay 3 mi · Fortuna Bay 3 mi · Hull Bay 3 mi · Cay Bay 3 mi
See how Brewers 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; 92% measured, 8% 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.