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136-acre Hawksbill Cove 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 89 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.
On the chart, Hawksbill Cove draws 136 acres inside 2 miles of shoreline. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 5% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 0.9 mi, about 0.4 mi across. The nearest mapped water is Brewers Bay, 1 mi to the north.
Early season atlantic tarpon use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 4 to 35 ft game here, winter a 5 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 20 ft, good for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (20 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
In spring, jack crevalle run shallow here, mostly 2 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement is the standout, a hard bottom at roughly 23 ft, rated good for spring jack crevalle. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a pencil popper or a casting spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring puts yellowtail snapper in skinny water — 8 to 60 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 70 ft; cold water stacks them in 12 to 80 ft. NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement is the standout, a hard bottom at roughly 43 ft, rated prime for spring yellowtail snapper. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A micro jig or a small paddletail covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 12 to 80 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
When the water first warms, mutton snapper slide up into 8 to 65 ft. Summer is a 10 to 80 ft game here, winter a 15 to 89 ft one. Start at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement. It's a hard bottom holding about 43 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig 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 | 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 15 to 89 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 90 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Come spring, look for great barracuda tight to the bank in 2 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 55 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 65 ft. Start at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement. It's a hard bottom holding about 43 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A fast swimbait or a spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Come spring, look for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) tight to the bank in 3 to 22 ft. They move out to 4 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement: a hard bottom around 23 ft that scores good in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small bucktail or a paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (16 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (23 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (43 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Count 10 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Surveyed channel edge, sits near 62 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 Hawksbill Cove specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Hawksbill Cove is about 89 ft (27 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 Hawksbill Cove. 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 43 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Hawksbill Cove 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.
Brewers Bay 1 mi · Lindbergh Bay 1 mi · Krum Bay 1 mi · West Gregerie Channel 2 mi · Druif Bay 2 mi · Flamingo Bay 2 mi · Crown Bay 2 mi · Limestone Bay 2 mi · East Gregerie Channel 3 mi · Fortuna Bay 3 mi · Santa Maria Bay 3 mi · Cay Bay 3 mi
See how Hawksbill Cove 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.