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49-acre Water 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 41 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.
Water Bay maps at 49 acres behind 1.5 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 66% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.4 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. If the bite dies, Coki Bay is 0 mi to the north.
Spring puts atlantic tarpon in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for summer atlantic tarpon. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A heavy paddletail or a swimbait in pass current covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (7 ft) | 4-6 inch paddletail, Suspending baitfish plug |
| Summer | 4 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (26 ft) | Heavy paddletail, Swimbait in pass current |
| Fall | 3 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (26 ft) | Mullet-profile swimbait, Surface plug |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (26 ft) | Slow-rolled paddletail, Suspending plug |
When the water first warms, jack crevalle slide up into 2 to 25 ft. Summer is a 3 to 35 ft game here, winter a 5 to 35 ft one. Start at Surveyed channel edge. It's a drop-off holding about 26 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a pencil popper or a casting spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted bridge (2 ft) | Surface popper, Metal jig |
| Summer | 3 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (26 ft) | Pencil popper, Casting spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted bridge (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Metal jig |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dusk | Surveyed channel edge (26 ft) | Compact metal jig, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Early season yellowtail snapper use the shallows, holding in 5 to 41 ft. Even in summer they hold at 6 to 41 ft; winter keeps them in 6 to 41 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA charted rock — hard bottom, 20 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a micro jig or a small paddletail and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Small bucktail, Light vertical jig |
| Summer | 6 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Micro jig, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 6 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Small vertical jig, Baitfish streamer |
| Winter | 6 to 41 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Small jig worked deep, Bucktail |
In spring, mutton snapper run shallow here, mostly 5 to 41 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 41 ft, and they winter in 7 to 41 ft. NOAA charted rock is the standout, a hard bottom at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for spring mutton snapper. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a heavy bucktail or a vertical jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Bucktail near bottom, Paddletail |
| Summer | 5 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Heavy bucktail, Vertical jig |
| Fall | 5 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Bucktail + strip, Slow vertical jig |
| Winter | 7 to 41 ft | dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Slow jig, Bottom bucktail |
Start shallow in spring: great barracuda sit in 2 to 41 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 41 ft covers summer, 3 to 41 ft covers winter. The spot to know is NOAA charted rock, a hard bottom in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for great barracuda in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a fast swimbait or a spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 41 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted bridge (2 ft) | Fast tube lure, Long minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 41 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Fast swimbait, Spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 41 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA charted bridge (2 ft) | Mullet-profile plug, Tube lure |
| Winter | 3 to 41 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Long minnow plug, Fast jig |
Spring puts gray snapper (mangrove snapper) in skinny water — 3 to 22 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 30 ft, wintering in 7 to 41 ft. Spring gray snapper (mangrove snapper) concentrate at NOAA charted pier, a prime-rated dock line around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small bucktail or a paddletail covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (3 ft) | Small paddletail, Jighead + shrimp imitation |
| Summer | 4 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (3 ft) | Small bucktail, Paddletail |
| Fall | 5 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (3 ft) | Small vertical jig, Jighead + paddletail |
| Winter | 7 to 41 ft | midday | NOAA charted rock (20 ft) | Small jig worked slowly |
7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Surveyed channel edge, around 26 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Water Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official U.S. Virgin Islands fishing regulations →
Water Bay is about 41 ft (12 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 Water Bay.
NOAA charted rock is the top-rated area: a hard bottom in about 20 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 Water 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.
Coki Bay 0 mi · Saint John Bay 1 mi · Tutu Bay 2 mi · Redhook Bay 2 mi · Muller Bay 2 mi · Magens Bay 5 mi · Caneel Bay 5 mi · East Gregerie Channel 5 mi · Great Cruz Bay 5 mi · Crown Bay 5 mi · Hawksnest Bay 6 mi · Denis Bay 6 mi
See how Water 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.