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95-acre Hawksnest 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 53 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Drawn out, this is 95 acres of water rimmed by 1.6 miles of bank — one island included. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 40% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.6 mi, about 0.4 mi across. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Denis Bay, 0 mi northeast of here.
Come spring, look for atlantic tarpon tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 4 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 27 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: jack crevalle in 2 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 35 ft, wintering in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in the 27 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a pencil popper or a casting spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellowtail snapper in 7 to 53 ft. The depth story barely changes: 8 to 53 ft through summer, 8 to 53 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted underwater rock, a rock pile in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro jig or a small paddletail gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 53 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 8 to 53 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 8 to 53 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 8 to 53 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Spring mutton snapper on Hawksnest Bay hold shallow, usually 7 to 53 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 7 to 53 ft in summer, 9 to 53 ft once it turns cold. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 27 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 53 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 7 to 53 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 7 to 53 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 9 to 53 ft | dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Spring great barracuda on Hawksnest Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 53 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 53 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted underwater rock — rock pile, 7 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a fast swimbait or a spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 53 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 53 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 4 to 53 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (7 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Early season gray snapper (mangrove snapper) use the shallows, holding in 3 to 22 ft. Summer is a 4 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Surveyed channel edge — drop-off, 19 ft, good for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small bucktail or a paddletail and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Count 7 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Surveyed channel edge, sits near 27 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 Hawksnest Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Hawksnest Bay is about 53 ft (16 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 Hawksnest Bay.
Surveyed channel edge is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic tarpon in summer. 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 Hawksnest 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.
Denis Bay 0 mi · Caneel Bay 1 mi · Peter Bay 1 mi · Cinnamon Bay 2 mi · Great Cruz Bay 2 mi · Monte Bay 2 mi · Rendezvous Bay 2 mi · Fish Bay 2 mi · Francis Bay 3 mi · Genti Bay 3 mi · Reef Bay 3 mi · Leinster Bay 3 mi
See how Hawksnest 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.