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FISHING CALENDAR · U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
U.S. Virgin Islands Fishing Calendar
St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix have flats and mangrove lagoons close to shore, reefs on the shelf, and deep blue water only a short run out, where St. Thomas boats go to the North Drop for blue marlin. Best months come from the DPNR Division of Fish & Wildlife game-fish guides. Closed seasons come from DPNR, the Caribbean Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries.
Government fish & wildlife updates
- DPNR Press Releases — Seasonal closures and openings (conch, snapper, whelk)
- DPNR Division of Fish & Wildlife – Fisher Resources — Fish ID guides, regulations and closed-area maps
- Caribbean Fishery Management Council — Federal rules and meetings for USVI waters
- NOAA Fisheries – U.S. Caribbean closures — Federal seasonal and area closures
Month by month
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flats & inshore | |||||||||||||
| Bonefish | Catch and release only, all year. DPNR: all year, best from late March through September. Spots: lagoons and Mandahl Pond (St. Thomas), Mary's Creek and Annaberg Flat (St. John), east end and south shore (St. Croix). DPNR says bonefish are less common than they used to be.[1][3] | ||||||||||||
| Permit | DPNR: all year, best April through October, on shallow seagrass, sand flats and back reefs. DPNR lists permit with tarpon as the top shallow-water game fish now.[1] | ||||||||||||
| Tarpon | Catch and release only, all year. DPNR: all year, best March through October, in mangrove lagoons, bays and harbors (Christiansted Harbor, Salt River, St. Thomas east end lagoons).[1][3] | ||||||||||||
| Snook | DPNR: all year in mangrove lagoons, bays, harbors and beaches with sharp drop-offs; they are caught only now and then.[1] | ||||||||||||
| Great barracuda | DPNR: all year around reefs, channels, mangrove lagoons and bays; with jacks, the most common shallow-water game fish.[1] | ||||||||||||
| Jacks | DPNR: all year on back-reef flats, shelf drop-offs, docks and shorelines; Salt River Canyon on St. Croix.[1] | ||||||||||||
| Mahogany snapper | DPNR: all year around inshore reefs and channels and along the shoreline. Counts in the 5-fish snapper/grouper/parrotfish bag in federal waters.[1][5] | ||||||||||||
| Reef & bottom | |||||||||||||
| Mutton snapper | Closed Apr. 1–Jun. 30. The St. Croix mutton snapper spawning area is closed to all fishing Mar. 1–Jun. 30. Bag: 5 snapper, grouper and parrotfish combined per person (15 per boat with 3 or more aboard). No official best months found.[3][5][6] | ||||||||||||
| Lane snapper | Closed Apr. 1–Jun. 30; same combined bag as mutton snapper. No official best months found.[3][5][6] | ||||||||||||
| Yellowtail snapper | 12 in. total length minimum in federal waters; no closed season listed. No official best months found.[3][5] | ||||||||||||
| Deep-water snappers (silk, blackfin, vermilion, black) | Closed Oct. 1–Dec. 31 in all federal waters and in St. Thomas/St. John territorial waters (DPNR). For 2026 they could be kept Jan. 1–Sep. 30. No official best months found.[3][6][8][9] | ||||||||||||
| Groupers (red, black, tiger, yellowfin, yellowedge) | Closed Feb. 1–Apr. 30. The yellowedge closure does not apply in federal waters off St. Croix. Grammanik Bank (St. Thomas) is closed to all fishing except tuna and billfish Feb. 1–Apr. 30. No official best months found.[3][5][6] | ||||||||||||
| Red hind | The closed months apply only to the red hind spawning area at Lang Bank, east of St. Croix (closed to all fishing Dec. 1–end of Feb.). The Hind Bank Marine Conservation District south of St. Thomas is closed to all fishing and anchoring all year. No official best months found.[3][5][6][9] | ||||||||||||
| Parrotfish (legal species) | No more than 2 per person (6 per boat) a day, inside the 5-fish combined bag. Size limits in St. Croix federal waters: redband 8 in., queen, princess, redfin, redtail, stoplight and striped 9 in. fork length. Midnight, blue and rainbow parrotfish may never be kept. No official best months found.[3][5] | ||||||||||||
| Offshore | |||||||||||||
| Blue marlin | DPNR: all year, peak May–October. St. Thomas boats run to the North Drop, which both magazines say lies in BVI waters. Magazine notes (not official): best on the days around the full moons Jul–Oct, with the August full moon hottest; the USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament runs on the August full moon.[2][10][11][12] | ||||||||||||
| White marlin | DPNR: all year, peak April–May.[2] | ||||||||||||
| Sailfish | DPNR: October–March. Yachting (magazine — not official) also calls winter sailfish season.[2][11] | ||||||||||||
| Yellowfin tuna | DPNR: August–February. Atlantic HMS federal rules apply.[2][5] | ||||||||||||
| Blackfin tuna | DPNR: all year.[2] | ||||||||||||
| Wahoo | DPNR: peak season September–May. Federal waters: 32 in. fork length; 2 per person, 10 per boat a day. The VIGFC Wahoo Windup tournament is Nov. 15, 2026.[2][5][13] | ||||||||||||
| Mahi (dolphin) | DPNR: October–January is peak season; it also lists May and July. Federal waters: 24 in. fork length; 10 per person, 32 per boat a day.[2][5] | ||||||||||||
| Kingfish (king mackerel) | Month (magazine — not official): the one-day Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament on St. Thomas is held in July. No USVI limits found in these sources.[12] | ||||||||||||
| Shellfish | |||||||||||||
| Caribbean spiny lobster | Shell (carapace) must be at least 3.5 in.; never keep egg-bearing or stripped females; no spears or hooks; land them whole. Federal waters: 3 per person, 10 per boat a day. No closed season listed. No official best months found.[4][5] | ||||||||||||
| Queen conch | Closed Jun. 1–Oct. 31; open Nov. 1–May 31. Allowed in all territorial waters and in St. Croix federal waters east of 64°34′W (Lang Bank), but never in federal waters off St. Thomas/St. John. Shell at least 9 in. long or lip 3/8 in. thick. Territorial: 6 per person, 24 per boat; federal: 3 per person, 12 per boat. No take in STEER or the St. Croix East End Marine Park.[4][5][6][7] | ||||||||||||
| Whelk (West Indian top snail) | Closed Apr. 1–Sep. 30 in territorial waters. 24 per person a day with a recreational license; shell at least 2 7/16 in. across.[4][8] | ||||||||||||
Never keep: Never keep: Nassau grouper, Goliath grouper, and midnight, blue and rainbow parrotfish; corals, sea urchins and sea cucumbers in federal waters; queen conch from federal waters off St. Thomas and St. John. Bonefish and tarpon are catch and release only. No fishing at all in the Hind Bank Marine Conservation District.[3][5][6]
Bait & rig for each fish
Bonefish
Bait: Live or fresh shrimp and small crabs.
Lures: Small skimmer jigs and bonefish flies (Gotcha, Crazy Charlie).
Rig: No harvest-targeting rig is recommended. Keep dehooker and cutters ready for incidental release.
Leader: Clear 10–20 lb fluorocarbon/mono is a practical flats starting range, adjusted for fish size and coral/rock.
Permit
Bait: Live small blue crabs and pass crabs; shrimp.
Lures: Crab flies, small bucktail jigs and crab imitations.
Rig: No harvest-targeting rig is recommended. Keep dehooker and cutters ready for incidental release.
Leader: Use an abrasion-resistant leader that can be cut quickly if dehooking is unsafe.
Tarpon
Bait: Live crabs, mullet, pinfish, threadfin herring and large shrimp.
Lures: Swimbaits, soft-plastic jerkbaits, plugs and flies; small jigs for baby tarpon.
Rig: A documented tarpon option is a live-line/live-bait rig using main line, leader, a circle hook and live bait without added weight. Component strength and size must match the fish and local rules.
Leader: A strong monofilament leader helps resist contact with the gill plate and tail.
Snook
Bait: Live pilchards (whitebait), pinfish, finger mullet and large live shrimp.
Lures: Soft-plastic swimbaits and jerkbaits, bucktail jigs, topwater walking baits and suspending twitchbaits.
Rig: Free-line, popping-cork, Carolina/fish-finder and light jig rigs are common; choose the least hardware needed to reach the zone.
Leader: 10–30 lb fluorocarbon/mono is a common flats/inshore start; move to 40–80 lb around abrasive mouths, structure or large tarpon/snook.
Great barracuda
Bait: Live pilchards, ballyhoo and needlefish.
Lures: Tube lures ("cuda tubes") retrieved fast, spoons, plugs and topwaters.
Rig: A knocker, fish-finder, dropper or simple jig setup are common choices; use only enough weight to hold the strike zone.
Leader: Use heavy mono/fluoro or a short wire bite leader where barracuda teeth are likely to contact the leader.
Mahogany snapper
Bait: Shrimp, squid, cut bait and local baitfish are common starting choices; match bait size to the mouth and local forage.
Lures: Jigs, bucktails, soft plastics, diving plugs and metal jigs are common; choose by depth and current.
Rig: A knocker, fish-finder, dropper or simple jig setup are common choices; use only enough weight to hold the strike zone.
Leader: 30–80 lb abrasion-resistant mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; increase around sharp reef or very large fish.
Mutton snapper
Bait: Live pilchards, ballyhoo plugs, squid and cut bait.
Lures: Bucktail jigs tipped with squid or shrimp.
Rig: A knocker, fish-finder, dropper or simple jig setup are common choices; use only enough weight to hold the strike zone.
Leader: 30–80 lb abrasion-resistant mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; increase around sharp reef or very large fish.
Lane snapper
Bait: Shrimp, squid and cut fish.
Lures: Small jigs.
Rig: A knocker, fish-finder, dropper or simple jig setup are common choices; use only enough weight to hold the strike zone.
Leader: 30–80 lb abrasion-resistant mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; increase around sharp reef or very large fish.
Yellowtail snapper
Bait: Silversides, pieces of ballyhoo or squid, and live shrimp in a chum slick.
Lures: Small jigs dropped back in the chum.
Rig: A knocker, fish-finder, dropper or simple jig setup are common choices; use only enough weight to hold the strike zone.
Leader: 30–80 lb abrasion-resistant mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; increase around sharp reef or very large fish.
Deep-water snappers (silk, blackfin, vermilion, black)
Bait: Shrimp, squid, cut bait and local baitfish are common starting choices; match bait size to the mouth and local forage.
Lures: Jigs, bucktails, soft plastics, diving plugs and metal jigs are common; choose by depth and current.
Rig: A knocker, fish-finder, dropper or simple jig setup are common choices; use only enough weight to hold the strike zone.
Leader: 30–80 lb abrasion-resistant mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; increase around sharp reef or very large fish.
Groupers (red, black, tiger, yellowfin, yellowedge)
Bait: Live grunts, pinfish, blue runners and big pilchards.
Lures: Deep-diving plugs trolled over the reef edge.
Rig: A knocker, fish-finder, dropper or simple jig setup are common choices; use only enough weight to hold the strike zone.
Leader: 30–80 lb abrasion-resistant mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; increase around sharp reef or very large fish.
Red hind
Bait: Squid, cut fish and live small fish.
Lures: Small jigs.
Rig: A knocker, fish-finder, dropper or simple jig setup are common choices; use only enough weight to hold the strike zone.
Leader: 30–80 lb abrasion-resistant mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; increase around sharp reef or very large fish.
Blue marlin
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo, mackerel and live tunas.
Lures: Large skirted trolling lures.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
White marlin
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and small squid.
Lures: Small skirted trolling lures.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Sailfish
Bait: Live goggle-eyes, pilchards, threadfin herring and ballyhoo.
Lures: Small trolling lures and rigged ballyhoo.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Yellowfin tuna
Bait: Live baits (blue runners, bonito) and chunks.
Lures: Spreader bars, skirted lures, poppers and stick baits.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
Blackfin tuna
Bait: Live pilchards and sardines; chunked bait for chumming.
Lures: Small feathers, cedar plugs, metal jigs and topwater poppers.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
Wahoo
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and live baits on wire.
Lures: High-speed trolling lures and lipped diving plugs on wire.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: Use heavy abrasion/bite leader; many wahoo anglers add short wire or cable because of the teeth.
Mahi (dolphin)
Bait: Ballyhoo, flying fish, squid and cut bait to keep a school near the boat.
Lures: Skirted trolling lures, small feathers and bucktail jigs.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 30–60 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common mahi start; increase for abrasion or mixed wahoo water.
Kingfish (king mackerel)
Bait: Live blue runners, goggle-eyes, menhaden and threadfin herring; frozen cigar minnows.
Lures: Spoons, diving plugs and duster-rigged baits.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: Wire or monofilament leader is documented; material choice, strength and length are not universally established.
Caribbean spiny lobster
Bait: Not caught on hook and line — divers use a tickle stick and net; traps where licensed.
Lures: Not caught on hook and line — divers use a tickle stick and net; traps where licensed.
Rig: Use only the collection device allowed by current local rules.
Leader: Not caught on hook and line — divers use a tickle stick and net; traps where licensed.
Queen conch
Bait: No harvest-targeting bait recommendation is provided. Incidental captures should be released promptly.
Lures: No directed lure recommendation on a release-only page; avoid intentionally targeting the fish unless current rules expressly allow the activity.
Rig: No harvest-targeting rig is recommended. Keep dehooker and cutters ready for incidental release.
Leader: Use an abrasion-resistant leader that can be cut quickly if dehooking is unsafe.
Whelk (West Indian top snail)
Bait: Not applicable to hand/collection fisheries.
Lures: Not applicable.
Rig: Use only lawful hand tools or collection gear specified by local rules.
Leader: Not applicable.
Local fishing reports — what’s biting now
- Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club – Tournaments — St. Thomas club tournaments and results, such as the Wahoo Windup
- St. Thomas Source — Local news, including tournament results and DPNR fishing notices
- Virgin Islands This Week – Summer Sportfishing Season — Billfish and kingfish tournament season on St. Thomas
- Marlin Magazine – Return to the North Drop — North Drop blue marlin reports and full-moon timing
Sources
- DPNR Fish & Wildlife – Shallow Water Game Fish guide (PDF)
- DPNR Fish & Wildlife – Deep Water Game Fish guide (PDF, UVI library)
- DPNR Fish & Wildlife – Fish ID & regulations folding guide, back (2018)
- DPNR Fish & Wildlife – Fish ID & regulations folding guide, front (2018)
- Caribbean Fishery Management Council – Summary of fishing regulations in federal waters off the USVI (PDF)
- NOAA Fisheries – Seasonal and Area Fishing Closures, U.S. Caribbean
- DPNR – Queen conch harvest season opens Nov. 1, 2025
- DPNR – Seasonal fishing closures announced (snappers, whelk)
- St. Thomas Source – Catch limit reminder for snapper season (DPNR, Jan. 2026)
- Marlin Magazine – Return to the North Drop (2023)
- Yachting Magazine – Summertime Blues
- Virgin Islands This Week – Summer Sportfishing Season
- Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club – Annual Tournaments
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every month on this calendar comes from the sources above. Empty boxes mean no official source gives those months. Rules change — check the agency page before you keep a fish.
On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock — for those few hours it’s just you, the water and peace.