Salt water depth chart
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18-acre Druif 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 29 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.
Drawn out, this is 18 acres of water rimmed by 0.7 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 86% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 0.3 mi, about 0.2 mi across. For a second option, Flamingo Bay lies 0 mi south.
Spring atlantic tarpon on Druif Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 29 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 29 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 7 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.
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 charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 3 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 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 2 to 29 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 29 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 7 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.
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 charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 2 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
In spring, yellowtail snapper run shallow here, mostly 4 to 29 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 29 ft, and they winter in 4 to 29 ft. NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement is the standout, a hard bottom at roughly 13 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 | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 80 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Come spring, look for mutton snapper tight to the bank in 4 to 29 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 29 ft; the winter hold is 5 to 29 ft. Start at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement. It's a hard bottom holding about 13 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 | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 5 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 90 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
When the water first warms, great barracuda slide up into 1 to 29 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 29 ft, winter 2 to 29 ft. Start at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement. It's a hard bottom holding about 13 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.
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 29 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 2 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (13 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 29 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 7 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.
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 underwater rock (7 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 5 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by NOAA NCCOS mapped seagrass at roughly 29 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 Druif Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Druif Bay is about 29 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 Druif 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 13 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Druif 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.
Flamingo Bay 0 mi · Limestone Bay 1 mi · West Gregerie Channel 1 mi · Krum Bay 1 mi · Lindbergh Bay 1 mi · East Gregerie Channel 1 mi · Crown Bay 1 mi · Hawksbill Cove 2 mi · Cay Bay 2 mi · Brewers Bay 2 mi · Long Bay 3 mi · Magens Bay 4 mi
See how Druif 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.