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119-acre Fish Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (90.22% measured, 97.13% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 43 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Fish Bay runs 119 acres with 2.3 miles of edge, with a single island in the mix. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 59% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Figure 0.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Monte Bay, 1 mi west of here.
When the water first warms, atlantic tarpon slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 11 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
Start shallow in spring: jack crevalle sit in 2 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 11 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a pencil popper or a casting spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (11 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Start shallow in spring: yellowtail snapper sit in 6 to 43 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 6 to 43 ft covers summer, 6 to 43 ft covers winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a micro jig or a small paddletail until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 43 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 6 to 43 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 6 to 43 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 6 to 43 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Early season mutton snapper use the shallows, holding in 5 to 43 ft. Even in summer they hold at 5 to 43 ft; winter keeps them in 7 to 43 ft. Put NOAA charted rock bottom first on the milk run — a hard bottom near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 43 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 5 to 43 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 6 to 43 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (43 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 7 to 43 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Early season great barracuda use the shallows, holding in 2 to 43 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 43 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 43 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth — channel edge, 43 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a fast swimbait or a spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 43 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (43 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 43 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (43 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 43 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (43 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 3 to 43 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Spring gray snapper (mangrove snapper) on Fish Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 22 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 43 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted pier — dock line, 2 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small bucktail or a paddletail.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (2 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 43 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (43 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
11 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, around 43 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: National Park Service — Virgin Islands National Park Superintendent's Compendium and Cruz Bay Visitor Center POI. 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 Fish Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Fish Bay is about 43 ft (13 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 Fish Bay.
NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 43 ft of water that rates prime for great barracuda 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 Fish 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.
Monte Bay 1 mi · Rendezvous Bay 1 mi · Genti Bay 1 mi · Reef Bay 1 mi · Great Cruz Bay 2 mi · Lameshur Bay 2 mi · Caneel Bay 2 mi · Hawksnest Bay 2 mi · Peter Bay 3 mi · Cinnamon Bay 3 mi · Denis Bay 3 mi · Francis Bay 3 mi
See how Fish 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; 90% measured, 7% 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.