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FISHING GUIDE · ST. CROIX, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
St. Croix Fishing Guide
St. Croix has deep blue water close to shore, so offshore trips are short. Charters troll for wahoo, mahi, tuna and marlin, and inshore boats fish for tarpon, bonefish, snapper and jacks. Federal waters here have seasonal spawning closures, and Buck Island is fully protected.
📍 St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Boats leave from Christiansted (boardwalk) and Green Cay Marina; the calmer west end is around Frederiksted. Lang Bank lies off the east end; Buck Island Reef National Monument is off the northeast coast.
📅 U.S. Virgin Islands Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full U.S. Virgin Islands map →
Quick facts
- St. Croix sits almost 50 miles south of the other Virgin Islands and is fished as a separate fishery.
- The island sits on the edge of the shelf ('the wall'); about 2 miles offshore you are in very deep water, and the channel to St. Thomas is about 1.5 miles deep.
- Buck Island Reef National Monument is a no-fishing, no-collecting park; President Kennedy called it 'the finest marine garden in the Caribbean Sea.'
- Federal waters off St. Croix have a red hind spawning area east of the island (closed Dec 1 - end of Feb) and a mutton snapper spawning area (closed Mar 1 - Jun 30).
- The Golden Hook Fishing Club holds its billfish challenge off St. Croix in February.
What you can catch
- Wahoo
Main offshore target for St. Croix charters. - Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
Common offshore catch. - Yellowfin tuna
Caught offshore in season. - Blue marlin
Caught offshore; billfish are the focus of the February Golden Hook challenge. - Tarpon
Inshore target. - Bonefish
Many local boats offer inshore bonefishing. - Kingfish and mackerel
Nearshore trolling. - Snapper and jacks
Bottom and inshore fishing; check the seasonal snapper closures.
Month by month
| January | Offshore trolling. Red hind spawning area east of St. Croix closed (federal). |
|---|---|
| February | Golden Hook billfish challenge. Red hind area closed through end of Feb. Red, black, tiger and yellowfin grouper closed from Feb 1. |
| March | Mutton snapper spawning area closed from Mar 1. Grouper closure on. |
| April | Mutton and lane snapper closed from Apr 1. Grouper closure ends Apr 30. |
| May | Mutton snapper area and snapper closures still on. |
| June | Mutton snapper area and mutton/lane closure end Jun 30. Queen conch closed in federal waters from Jun 1. |
| July | Offshore trolling; queen conch closed. |
| August | Offshore trolling; queen conch closed. |
| September | Offshore trolling; queen conch closed. |
| October | Black, blackfin, silk and vermilion snapper closed from Oct 1; queen conch closed through Oct 31. |
| November | Queen conch reopens east of 64°34' W (Lang Bank area) Nov 1; deepwater snapper closure on. |
| December | Red hind spawning area closes Dec 1; deepwater snapper closure ends Dec 31. |
Tips
- Get a USVI recreational fishing license at gooutdoorsusvi.com before you fish (DFW St. Croix: 340-773-1082).
- No fishing or collecting at Buck Island Reef National Monument, not even shells or coral.
- At Buck Island, anchor only in the marked area off West Beach, use the moorings, and do not anchor in the lagoon; boats over 42 feet cannot enter the lagoon.
- Know where the red hind and mutton snapper spawning areas are before bottom fishing in federal waters (coordinates in 50 CFR 622.479).
- Ask local captains which reef fish are safe to eat because of ciguatera.
Rules and license
USVI DPNR Division of Fish & Wildlife; NOAA Fisheries / Caribbean Fishery Management Council; National Park Service (Buck Island) · Official rules page ↗
- USVI recreational fishing license required for all recreational fishers, through GoOutdoorsUSVI.
- Red hind spawning aggregation area east of St. Croix: no fishing Dec 1 - last day of Feb; pots, traps, bottom longlines and nets banned year-round.
- Mutton snapper spawning aggregation area: no fishing Mar 1 - Jun 30; same gear bans year-round.
- Lang Bank: pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets and trammel nets banned year-round; queen conch allowed only Nov 1 - May 31 east of 64°34' W (includes Lang Bank).
- Federal species closures: red, black, tiger and yellowfin grouper Feb 1 - Apr 30; mutton and lane snapper Apr 1 - Jun 30; black, blackfin, vermilion and silk snapper Oct 1 - Dec 31.
- No harvest: Nassau grouper, goliath grouper, midnight/blue/rainbow parrotfish, corals, sea urchins, sea cucumbers.
- Buck Island Reef National Monument: no fishing, hunting or collecting.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 1 boat ramps and 2 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Green Cay Marina
- Salt River Marina
Sources
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/rules-and-regulations/seasonal-and-area-fishing-closures-us-caribbean
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-T/section-622.479
- https://dpnr.vi.gov/press_releases/dpnr-launches-new-online-recreational-fishing-license-system-for-the-virgin-islands/
- https://home.nps.gov/buis/planyourvisit/know-before-you-go.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/buis/index.htm
- https://www.sportfishingmag.com/virgin-islands-winter-escape/
- https://mystcroix.vi/deep-sea-fishing/
- https://www.gotostcroix.com/sport-fishing
- https://virginislandsthisweek.com/st-croix/st-croix-water-activities/gone-fishing-with-a-crucian/
- https://visourcearchives.com/content/2013/03/12/living-dream-wins-20th-golden-hook-challenge/
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.