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94-acre Francis 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 61 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Drawn out, this is 95 acres of water rimmed by 1.5 miles of bank. 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. 29% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.6 mi long by 0.4 mi wide at the broadest reach. The nearest mapped water is Cinnamon Bay, 1 mi to the southwest.
Spring atlantic tarpon on Francis Bay hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 34 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 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 3 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 34 ft, rated prime for summer jack crevalle. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A pencil popper or a casting spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
In spring, yellowtail snapper run shallow here, mostly 8 to 60 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 61 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 61 ft. Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the standout, a wreck at roughly 57 ft, rated prime for summer 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (57 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 9 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (57 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 9 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (57 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 9 to 61 ft | dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (57 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Come spring, look for mutton snapper tight to the bank in 8 to 61 ft. Through summer count on 8 to 61 ft; the winter hold is 10 to 61 ft. Start at Dangerous NOAA charted wreck. It's a wreck holding about 57 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A heavy bucktail or a vertical jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (40 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 8 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (57 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 8 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (57 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 10 to 61 ft | dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (57 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
When the water first warms, great barracuda slide up into 2 to 45 ft. Summer is a 3 to 55 ft game here, winter a 5 to 61 ft one. Start at NOAA charted underwater rock. It's a rock pile holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a fast swimbait or a spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 5 to 61 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (5 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 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 34 ft that scores good in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small bucktail or a paddletail rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (34 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (57 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, sits near 57 ft.
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 Francis Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Francis Bay is about 61 ft (19 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 Francis Bay.
Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the top-rated area: a wreck in about 57 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper 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 Francis 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.
Cinnamon Bay 1 mi · Leinster Bay 1 mi · Peter Bay 1 mi · Denis Bay 2 mi · Hawksnest Bay 3 mi · Genti Bay 3 mi · Caneel Bay 3 mi · Reef Bay 3 mi · Fish Bay 3 mi · Monte Bay 4 mi · Lameshur Bay 4 mi · Rendezvous Bay 4 mi
See how Francis 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.