Salt water depth chart
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34-acre Crown 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 40 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 season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Crown Bay maps at 34 acres behind 1.1 miles of shoreline. At index 1.3 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 6% of this chart. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. Its nearest charted neighbour, West Gregerie Channel, is 1 mi to the southwest.
Spring puts atlantic tarpon in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 30 ft, rated good for summer atlantic tarpon. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
When the water first warms, jack crevalle slide up into 2 to 25 ft. Summer is a 3 to 35 ft game here, winter a 5 to 35 ft one. Start at NOAA charted breakwater. It's a jetty / riprap holding about 11 ft of water and rates good come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a pencil popper or a casting spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Early season yellowtail snapper use the shallows, holding in 5 to 40 ft. Even in summer they hold at 6 to 40 ft; winter keeps them in 6 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted breakwater — jetty / riprap, 11 ft, good for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a micro jig or a small 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 | 5 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 6 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 6 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 80 ft | dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
In spring, mutton snapper run shallow here, mostly 5 to 40 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 40 ft, and they winter in 7 to 40 ft. NOAA charted breakwater is the standout, a jetty / riprap at roughly 11 ft, rated good for spring mutton snapper. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig 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 | 5 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 5 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 7 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 90 ft | dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Start shallow in spring: great barracuda sit in 2 to 40 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 40 ft covers summer, 3 to 40 ft covers winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted breakwater, a jetty / riprap in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for great barracuda in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a fast swimbait or a spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 40 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 3 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Spring puts gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in skinny water — 3 to 22 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 30 ft, wintering in 7 to 40 ft. Summer gray snapper (mangrove snapper) concentrate at NOAA charted breakwater, a good-rated jetty / riprap around 11 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small bucktail or a paddletail covers the summer program.
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 charted breakwater (11 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 7 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA charted breakwater (11 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
The chart marks 2 structure features on Crown Bay; the deepest is Surveyed channel edge at about 30 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 Crown Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Crown Bay is about 40 ft (12 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 Crown Bay.
NOAA charted breakwater is the top-rated area: a jetty / riprap in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for great barracuda 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 Crown 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.
West Gregerie Channel 1 mi · Cay Bay 1 mi · East Gregerie Channel 1 mi · Krum Bay 1 mi · Limestone Bay 1 mi · Lindbergh Bay 1 mi · Druif Bay 1 mi · Long Bay 2 mi · Flamingo Bay 2 mi · Hawksbill Cove 2 mi · Brewers Bay 2 mi · Magens Bay 2 mi
See how Crown 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 (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.