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9,220-acre Pillsbury Sound fishing map with 99.29%-measured NOAA BlueTopo and USVI lidar contours in MLLW, 131 source-traceable measured fishing spots outside mapped no-take and boat-exclusion closures, six regional fish profiles, Cruz Bay ramp access, forage guidance and current NPS/DPNR rules. The water tops out around 113 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 9,248 acres, worked by 38.6 miles of shoreline, broken up by 34 islands. The 2.9 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 6% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 6.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 4.7 mi at the beam. Its nearest charted neighbour, Redhook Bay, is 1 mi to the west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic tarpon in 3 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 35 ft, wintering in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in the 6 ft range, good in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
Spring jack crevalle on Pillsbury Sound hold shallow, usually 2 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted rock bottom — hard bottom, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a pencil popper or a casting spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Come spring, look for yellowtail snapper tight to the bank in 8 to 60 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 70 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 80 ft. Start at NOAA charted rock bottom. It's a hard bottom holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A micro jig or a small paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 12 to 80 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: mutton snapper in 8 to 65 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 80 ft before dropping to 15 to 90 ft for winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for mutton snapper in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 15 to 90 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (15 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Spring puts great barracuda in skinny water — 2 to 45 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 55 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 65 ft. NOAA charted rock bottom is the standout, a hard bottom at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for winter great barracuda. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A fast swimbait or a spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (6 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Start shallow in spring: gray snapper (mangrove snapper) sit in 3 to 22 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted pier, a dock line in the 10 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small bucktail or a paddletail until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (10 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (10 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (32 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (32 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
136 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA charted hard seabed, around 85 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 Pillsbury Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Pillsbury Sound is about 113 ft (34 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 Pillsbury Sound.
NOAA charted rock bottom is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 15 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 Pillsbury Sound 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.
Redhook Bay 1 mi · Muller Bay 1 mi · Red Bay 1 mi · Saint John Bay 1 mi · Smith Bay 2 mi · Frank Bay 2 mi · Jersey Bay 2 mi · Turner Bay 2 mi · Eva Bay 3 mi · Great Cruz Bay 3 mi · Water Bay 3 mi · Coki Bay 3 mi
See how Pillsbury Sound 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 National Geodetic Survey, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and Office of Coast Survey Pillsbury Sound BlueTopo and USVI bathymetric-lidar survey composite (MLLW; 99% measured, 1% 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.