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1,182-acre Bahía de Ponce fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.94% measured, 99.94% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 49 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 1,185 acres of water rimmed by 8.7 miles of bank, broken up by an island. Index 1.8 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 35% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.1 mi with a 1-mi widest point. For a second option, Caleta de Cabullones lies 3 mi east.
When the water first warms, atlantic tarpon slide up into 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 4 to 35 ft game here, winter a 5 to 35 ft one. Start at NOAA charted rock bottom. It's a hard bottom holding about 9 ft of water and rates good come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
Start shallow in spring: jack crevalle sit in 2 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for jack crevalle in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a pencil popper or a casting spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Start shallow in spring: yellowtail snapper sit in 7 to 49 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 7 to 49 ft covers summer, 7 to 49 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in the 9 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a micro jig or a small paddletail until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 49 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 7 to 49 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 7 to 49 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 7 to 49 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Early season mutton snapper use the shallows, holding in 6 to 49 ft. Even in summer they hold at 6 to 49 ft; winter keeps them in 8 to 49 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted rock bottom — hard bottom, 9 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 49 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 6 to 49 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 7 to 49 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 8 to 49 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Early season great barracuda use the shallows, holding in 2 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 49 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 49 ft. Put NOAA charted rock bottom first on the milk run — a hard bottom near 9 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a fast swimbait or a spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 49 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 49 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 4 to 49 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (9 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Spring gray snapper (mangrove snapper) on Bahía de Ponce hold shallow, usually 3 to 22 ft. They move out to 4 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 45 ft. Put NOAA charted pier first on the milk run — a dock line near 4 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small bucktail or a paddletail.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (8 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
27 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA charted hard seabed, around 38 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Puerto Rico DRNA — Guía del Navegante public access inventory. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Puerto Rico waters are set by the Puerto Rico DRNA (current fishing regulation) — and special regulations can apply to Bahía de Ponce specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Puerto Rico fishing regulations →
Bahía de Ponce is about 49 ft (15 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 Bahía de Ponce.
NOAA charted rock bottom is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. 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 Bahía de Ponce is regulated by the Puerto Rico DRNA (current fishing regulation). Check the official Puerto Rico regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Caleta de Cabullones 3 mi · Bahía Tallaboa 6 mi · Bahía de Guayanilla 9 mi · Lago Cerrillos 9 mi · Lago Guayabal 12 mi · Lago Toa Vaca 14 mi · Bahía de Ballena 14 mi · Lago Lucchetti 17 mi · Ensenada las Pardas 19 mi · Lago de Matrullas 19 mi · Lago Caonillas 20 mi · Bahía de Rincón 20 mi
See how Bahía de Ponce stacks up: best gray snapper (mangrove snapper) lakes in Puerto Rico · best atlantic tarpon lakes in Puerto Rico · best jack crevalle lakes in Puerto Rico · best yellowtail snapper lakes in Puerto Rico
Browse all Puerto Rico 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.