Saint John Bay, VI

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Where to start

Caribbean reef-surface baitfish schools window is on — see the forage outlook

Max 53 ft

Know this water and see something off?

Seasonal forage outlook

Caribbean reef-surface baitfish schoolsActive window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · a year-round search framework for documented U.S. Caribbean baitfish and surveyed reef-fish habitat; no seasonal peak or daily school is implied

adultdawn, dusk and moving water are practical search periods for visible surface bait over reef and channel edges — birds, flickering bait or predator pushes are required confirmation; the all-year window does not promise a school

When ballyhoo, gar, flying fish or other small surface forage collects over reef relief or a current edge, jacks, barracuda and tarpon can compress around the same lane.

Match the visible forage with a small metal, paddletail or minnow plug and retrieve across the edge rather than through the center of the school.

The event happens over reef crowns, hard-bottom edges, bay mouths and channel seams with visible bait or bird activity

Virgin Islands nursery-habitat forage corridorActive window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · a year-round habitat-search window based on documented nursery and daily cross-habitat use; activity still varies by bay, tide and weather

juvenilelow light and moving water are practical times to inspect seagrass edges, mangrove points and the first adjacent reef or channel break — look for actual small fish, dimples or predator movement before treating a nursery edge as an active feeding lane

Juvenile fishes using connected mangrove, seagrass and reef habitat can focus predators where a shoreline point or channel edge funnels daily movement.

Use a compact paddletail, small suspending minnow or light jig along seagrass edges and reef-to-channel transitions on moving water.

The event happens over seagrass or mangrove habitat connected to reefs, shallow points, bay mouths and the first channel edge

PRO Movement timing, the bite read and tactics are part of Pro.

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Saint John Bay

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Saint John Bay on the board.

Fishing Saint John Bay: what the data says

43-acre Saint John Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (100% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 53 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

The outline encloses 43 acres, worked by 1 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. 53% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. Redhook Bay sits 1 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.

Atlantic Tarpon fishing at Saint John Bay

The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic tarpon in 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 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 34 ft of water that rates prime for atlantic tarpon in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 (3 ft)	4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug
Summer	4 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Surveyed channel edge (34 ft)	Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current
Fall	3 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Surveyed channel edge (34 ft)	Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dusk	Surveyed channel edge (34 ft)	Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug

Jack Crevalle fishing at Saint John Bay

Spring jack crevalle on Saint John Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 25 ft. They move out to 3 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 34 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run 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 (3 ft)	Surface popper, Metal jig
Summer	3 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Surveyed channel edge (34 ft)	Pencil popper, Casting spoon
Fall	2 to 30 ft	dawn & midday	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Topwater walker, Metal jig
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dusk	Surveyed channel edge (34 ft)	Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail

Yellowtail Snapper fishing at Saint John Bay

Come spring, look for yellowtail snapper tight to the bank in 7 to 53 ft. Through summer count on 8 to 53 ft; the winter hold is 8 to 53 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted rock bottom: a hard bottom around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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	7 to 53 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Small bucktail, Light vertical jig
Summer	8 to 53 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Micro jig, Small paddletail
Fall	8 to 53 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer
Winter	8 to 53 ft	dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Small jig worked deep, Bucktail

Mutton Snapper fishing at Saint John Bay

The spring pattern is a shallow one: mutton snapper in 7 to 53 ft. The depth story barely changes: 7 to 53 ft through summer, 9 to 53 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	7 to 53 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail
Summer	7 to 53 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig
Fall	7 to 53 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig
Winter	9 to 53 ft	dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Slow jig, Bottom bucktail

Great Barracuda fishing at Saint John Bay

Spring puts great barracuda in skinny water — 2 to 45 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 53 ft, wintering in 4 to 53 ft. Winter great barracuda concentrate at NOAA charted rock bottom, a prime-rated hard bottom around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 (3 ft)	Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug
Summer	3 to 53 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Fast swimbait, Spoon
Fall	3 to 53 ft	dawn & midday	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure
Winter	4 to 53 ft	midday & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Long minnow plug, Fast jig

Gray Snapper (Mangrove Snapper) fishing at Saint John Bay

Start shallow in spring: gray snapper (mangrove snapper) sit in 3 to 22 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 45 ft. The spot to know is NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 rock bottom (3 ft)	Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation
Summer	4 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Small bucktail, Paddletail
Fall	5 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	NOAA charted rock bottom (3 ft)	Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail
Winter	8 to 45 ft	midday	Surveyed channel edge (34 ft)	Small jig worked slowly

Notable structure

Saint John Bay carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 34 ft down.

Surveyed channel edge: drop-off, around 34 ft
NOAA charted underwater rock: rock pile, around 7 ft
NOAA charted rock bottom: hard bottom, around 3 ft
NOAA charted underwater rock: rock pile, around 2 ft
NOAA charted underwater rock: rock pile, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Pelican Beach — carry-in
Sapphire Beach — carry-in

Access data: USVI DPNR Coastal Zone Management — Public Access Map. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Saint John Bay fishing regulations

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 Saint John Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Saint John Bay?

Saint John Bay is about 53 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.

What fish are in Saint John Bay?

Anglers target atlantic tarpon, jack crevalle, yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, great barracuda, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) on Saint John Bay.

Where is the best fishing spot on Saint John Bay?

NOAA charted rock bottom is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for great barracuda in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Saint John Bay?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Saint John Bay?

Fishing on Saint John 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.

Nearby waters

Redhook Bay 1 mi · Muller Bay 1 mi · Water Bay 1 mi · Coki Bay 1 mi · Tutu Bay 3 mi · Caneel Bay 4 mi · Great Cruz Bay 4 mi · Hawksnest Bay 5 mi · Denis Bay 5 mi · Monte Bay 5 mi · Rendezvous Bay 5 mi · Fish Bay 6 mi

See how Saint John 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; 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.