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18-acre Smith Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (99.45% measured and assessed), four source-traceable measured rock and hard-bottom spots, six regional fish profiles, Lindqvist Beach access, two forage frameworks, live park/advisory links and current DPNR rules. The water tops out around 19 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.
Smith Bay maps at 18 acres behind 0.7 miles of shoreline. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. About 96% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 0.3 mi long. If the bite dies, Saint John Bay is 0 mi to the east.
In spring, atlantic tarpon run shallow here, mostly 2 to 19 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 19 ft, and they winter in 3 to 19 ft. Spring atlantic tarpon concentrate at NOAA charted rock bottom, a good-rated hard bottom around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (7 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
Come spring, look for jack crevalle tight to the bank in 2 to 19 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 19 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 19 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA charted rock bottom: a hard bottom around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A pencil popper or a casting spoon is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 1 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (7 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring yellowtail snapper on Smith Bay hold shallow, usually 3 to 19 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 19 ft in summer, 3 to 19 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA charted rock bottom first on the milk run — a hard bottom near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a micro jig or a small paddletail.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (7 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (7 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (7 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 80 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (7 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
Spring puts mutton snapper in skinny water — 2 to 19 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 19 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 19 ft. Spring mutton snapper concentrate at NOAA charted rock bottom, a prime-rated hard bottom around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A heavy bucktail or a vertical jig covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 65 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 2 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 80 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 75 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (7 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 90 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (7 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: great barracuda in 1 to 19 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 19 ft through summer, 1 to 19 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted rock bottom, a hard bottom in the 2 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a fast swimbait or a spoon gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 45 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 1 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 1 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 55 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 1 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 65 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted rock bottom (2 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
In spring, gray snapper (mangrove snapper) run shallow here, mostly 3 to 19 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 19 ft, and they winter in 3 to 19 ft. NOAA charted underwater rock is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for summer gray snapper (mangrove snapper). Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small bucktail or a paddletail most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 19 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 45 ft | midday | NOAA charted underwater rock (9 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
Smith Bay carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Surveyed channel edge, about 11 ft down.
Access data: USVI DPNR Coastal Zone Management - Public Access Map. 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 U.S. Virgin Islands DPNR (current fisher handbook) — and special regulations can apply to Smith Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Smith Bay is about 19 ft (6 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 Smith Bay.
NOAA charted rock bottom is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for yellowtail snapper in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Smith 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.
Saint John Bay 0 mi · Red Bay 1 mi · Water Bay 1 mi · Coki Bay 1 mi · Redhook Bay 1 mi · Eva Bay 1 mi · Muller Bay 1 mi · Spring Bay 2 mi · Jersey Bay 2 mi · Pillsbury Sound 2 mi · Tutu Bay 2 mi · Bolongo Bay 3 mi
See how Smith 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. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 99% 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.