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45-acre Limestone Bay 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 34 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Limestone Bay runs 45 acres with 1.2 miles of edge. At index 1.3 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 47% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi, about 0.3 mi across. The nearest mapped water is Druif Bay, 1 mi to the west.
Early season atlantic tarpon use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 34 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 34 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 19 ft that grades good for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current 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 | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (19 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
In spring, jack crevalle run shallow here, mostly 2 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 34 ft before dropping to 5 to 34 ft for winter. Spring jack crevalle concentrate at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement, a good-rated hard bottom around 12 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a pencil popper or a casting spoon most summer days.
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 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring puts yellowtail snapper in skinny water — 5 to 34 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 34 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 34 ft. Spring yellowtail snapper concentrate at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement, a prime-rated hard bottom around 12 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A micro jig or a small paddletail covers the summer program.
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 34 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 5 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 5 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 80 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
When the water first warms, mutton snapper slide up into 4 to 34 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 4 to 34 ft, winter 6 to 34 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement: a hard bottom around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 4 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 4 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 5 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 6 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 90 ft | dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Come spring, look for great barracuda tight to the bank in 2 to 34 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 34 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 34 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement: a hard bottom around 12 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A fast swimbait or a spoon is the honest summer answer here.
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 34 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 3 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Come spring, look for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) tight to the bank in 3 to 22 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 34 ft. Start at NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement. It's a hard bottom holding about 12 ft of water and rates good come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small bucktail or a paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
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 NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 6 to 34 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement (12 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Count 10 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, NOAA NCCOS mapped colonized pavement, sits near 19 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 Limestone Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Limestone Bay is about 34 ft (10 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 Limestone Bay. 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 12 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. 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 Limestone Bay 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.
Druif Bay 1 mi · West Gregerie Channel 1 mi · Flamingo Bay 1 mi · East Gregerie Channel 1 mi · Krum Bay 1 mi · Crown Bay 1 mi · Lindbergh Bay 1 mi · Cay Bay 2 mi · Long Bay 2 mi · Hawksbill Cove 2 mi · Brewers Bay 3 mi · Magens Bay 3 mi
See how Limestone 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 (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.