Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,824-acre Bahía de Puerca fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (74.8% measured, 99.93% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 68 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Bahía de Puerca maps at 1,828 acres behind 11.9 miles of shoreline — 4 islands included. A middling shoreline index (2) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. About 15% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 3.2 mi, about 2 mi across. Its nearest charted neighbour, Puerto Medio Mundo, is 3 mi to the northwest.
In spring, atlantic tarpon run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for summer atlantic tarpon. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
Come spring, look for jack crevalle tight to the bank in 2 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 35 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 24 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A pencil popper or a casting spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (24 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring yellowtail snapper on Bahía de Puerca hold shallow, usually 8 to 60 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 68 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 68 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted rock bottom — hard bottom, 11 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a micro jig or a small paddletail.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 10 to 68 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 10 to 68 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 68 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Spring puts mutton snapper in skinny water — 8 to 65 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 9 to 68 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 68 ft. NOAA charted rock bottom is the standout, a hard bottom at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for spring mutton snapper. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A heavy bucktail or a vertical jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 9 to 68 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 9 to 68 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 11 to 68 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: great barracuda in 2 to 45 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 55 ft before dropping to 5 to 65 ft for winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for great barracuda in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a fast swimbait or a spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (11 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
In spring, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) run shallow here, mostly 3 to 22 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 45 ft for winter. Summer gray snapper (mangrove snapper) concentrate at NOAA charted pier, a prime-rated dock line around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small bucktail or a paddletail most summer days.
| 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 (30 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (30 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
41 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 Puerca specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Puerto Rico fishing regulations →
Bahía de Puerca is about 68 ft (21 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 Puerca.
NOAA charted rock bottom is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 11 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 Puerca 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.
Puerto Medio Mundo 3 mi · Bahía de Fajardo 9 mi · Bahía de Mulas 10 mi · Bahía las Cabezas 11 mi · Puerto de Humacao 11 mi · Ensenada Yegua 11 mi · Pasaje de San Juan 12 mi · Ensenada Sun Bay 12 mi · Puerto Negro 16 mi · Bahía Tamarindo 19 mi · Bahía de Sardinas 19 mi · Bahía Flamenco 19 mi
See how Bahía de Puerca 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; 75% measured, 25% 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.