Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
268-acre Reef Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (97.24% measured, 97.99% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 52 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Reef Bay runs 269 acres with 3.8 miles of edge. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. 24% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 1.6 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. For a second option, Genti Bay lies 0 mi northwest.
Come spring, look for atlantic tarpon tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 35 ft. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in 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 (30 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: jack crevalle in 2 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 35 ft before dropping to 5 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for jack crevalle in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 (30 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellowtail snapper in 7 to 52 ft. The depth story barely changes: 7 to 52 ft through summer, 8 to 52 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Dangerous NOAA charted wreck, a wreck in the 17 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a micro jig or a small paddletail gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 52 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 7 to 52 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 7 to 52 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 8 to 52 ft | dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Spring mutton snapper on Reef Bay hold shallow, usually 6 to 52 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 7 to 52 ft in summer, 9 to 52 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted rock bottom — hard bottom, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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 | 6 to 52 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 7 to 52 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 7 to 52 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 9 to 52 ft | dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Spring great barracuda on Reef Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 45 ft. They move out to 3 to 52 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 52 ft. Put NOAA charted rock bottom first on the milk run — a hard bottom near 2 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run 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 rock bottom (2 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 52 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 52 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 4 to 52 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Early season gray snapper (mangrove snapper) use the shallows, holding in 3 to 22 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 45 ft. Put Dangerous NOAA charted wreck first on the milk run — a wreck near 17 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (17 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Surveyed channel edge at roughly 30 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 Reef Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Reef Bay is about 52 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 Reef Bay.
Dangerous NOAA charted wreck is the top-rated area: a wreck in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Reef 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.
Genti Bay 0 mi · Lameshur Bay 1 mi · Fish Bay 1 mi · Monte Bay 2 mi · Rendezvous Bay 2 mi · Cinnamon Bay 3 mi · Peter Bay 3 mi · Great Cruz Bay 3 mi · Denis Bay 3 mi · Francis Bay 3 mi · Hawksnest Bay 3 mi · Caneel Bay 3 mi
See how Reef 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; 97% 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.