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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 NOAA charted underwater rock: a rock pile around 7 ft that scores good in spring. 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 | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 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: NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. 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 | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 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.
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 | 6 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 6 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 6 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 6 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 80 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.
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 43 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 5 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 6 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 7 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 90 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 charted rock bottom — hard bottom, 2 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a fast swimbait or a spoon 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 | 2 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (43 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 3 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 65 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.
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 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 chart-limited; documented 8 to 45 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 charted rock bottom is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for great barracuda in winter. 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 · Hart Bay 1 mi · Reef Bay 1 mi · Devers Bay 1 mi · Great Cruz Bay 2 mi · Lameshur Bay 2 mi · Turner Bay 2 mi · Caneel Bay 2 mi · Hawksnest Bay 2 mi · Peter 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. 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.