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2,921-acre Bahía de San Juan fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (91.42% measured, 99.49% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 61 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Bahía de San Juan runs 2,925 acres with 18.9 miles of edge, with 6 islands in the mix. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 45% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.1 mi with a 1.9-mi widest point. The nearest mapped water is Bahía de Puerto Nuevo, 1 mi to the south.
Early season atlantic tarpon use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 4 to 35 ft game here, winter a 5 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge — channel edge, 26 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
In spring, jack crevalle run shallow here, mostly 2 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for winter jack crevalle. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a pencil popper or a casting spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (18 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring puts yellowtail snapper in skinny water — 8 to 60 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 9 to 61 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 61 ft. NOAA charted hard seabed is the standout, a hard bottom at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring yellowtail snapper. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A micro jig or a small paddletail covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted hard seabed (9 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 9 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted hard seabed (9 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 9 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted hard seabed (9 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 9 to 61 ft | dusk | NOAA charted hard seabed (9 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
When the water first warms, mutton snapper slide up into 8 to 61 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 8 to 61 ft, winter 10 to 61 ft. Start at NOAA charted hard seabed. It's a hard bottom holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted hard seabed (9 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 8 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted hard seabed (9 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 8 to 61 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted hard seabed (9 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 10 to 61 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock (29 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Come spring, look for great barracuda tight to the bank in 2 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 55 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 61 ft. Start at SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge. It's a channel edge holding about 26 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A fast swimbait or a spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | SAN JUAN HARBOR channel edge (26 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 5 to 61 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted hard seabed (9 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Come spring, look for gray snapper (mangrove snapper) tight to the bank in 3 to 22 ft. They move out to 4 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted pier: a dock line around 4 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small bucktail or a paddletail is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 (24 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Dangerous NOAA charted wreck (24 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
110 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA charted underwater rock, 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 San Juan specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Puerto Rico fishing regulations →
Bahía de San Juan is about 61 ft (19 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 San Juan.
NOAA charted hard seabed is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. 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 Bahía de San Juan 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.
Bahía de Puerto Nuevo 1 mi · Ensenada de Boca Vieja 3 mi · Lago Loíza 11 mi · Lago La Plata 12 mi · Lago Carite 26 mi · Lago de Matrullas 30 mi · Lago Patillas 30 mi · Puerto de Humacao 31 mi · Bahía las Cabezas 32 mi · Pasaje de San Juan 32 mi · Ensenada Yegua 32 mi · Bahía de Fajardo 33 mi
See how Bahía de San Juan 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; 91% measured, 8% 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.