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33-acre Caneel Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 33 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Caneel Bay runs 33 acres with 0.9 miles of edge. 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. About 54% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 0.3 mi, about 0.3 mi across. For a second option, Hawksnest Bay lies 1 mi northeast.
Come spring, look for atlantic tarpon tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 33 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 33 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 33 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: jack crevalle in 2 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 33 ft before dropping to 5 to 33 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for jack crevalle in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a pencil popper or a casting spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 33 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellowtail snapper in 4 to 33 ft. The depth story barely changes: 5 to 33 ft through summer, 5 to 33 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in the 12 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a micro jig or a small paddletail gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 5 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 5 to 33 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Spring mutton snapper on Caneel Bay hold shallow, usually 4 to 33 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 4 to 33 ft in summer, 6 to 33 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 25 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 4 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 4 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 6 to 33 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Spring great barracuda on Caneel Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 33 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 33 ft in summer, 3 to 33 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA charted underwater rock first on the milk run — a rock pile near 12 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a fast swimbait or a spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 33 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 33 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 3 to 33 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (12 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Early season gray snapper (mangrove snapper) use the shallows, holding in 3 to 22 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 33 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 25 ft that grades good for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small bucktail or a paddletail and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 6 to 33 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (25 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 25 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: National Park Service — public Virgin Islands National Park points of interest. 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 National Park Service and USVI DPNR (St. John park fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Caneel Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Caneel Bay is about 33 ft (10 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; 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 Caneel Bay.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic tarpon in summer. 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 Caneel Bay is regulated by the National Park Service and USVI DPNR (St. John park fishing). 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.
Hawksnest Bay 1 mi · Denis Bay 1 mi · Great Cruz Bay 2 mi · Peter Bay 2 mi · Monte Bay 2 mi · Rendezvous Bay 2 mi · Cinnamon Bay 2 mi · Fish Bay 2 mi · Genti Bay 3 mi · Francis Bay 3 mi · Reef Bay 3 mi · Redhook Bay 4 mi
See how Caneel 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 or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 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.