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FISHING GUIDE · ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
St. Thomas & the North Drop Fishing Guide
St. Thomas is one of the best-known blue marlin spots in the Atlantic, thanks to the North Drop, where deep water comes close to the islands. Summer is marlin time, with the best bite around the July and August full moons. In the cooler months, boats target wahoo, mahi and tuna on the drops.
📍 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Boats run mostly from Red Hook (east end) and Charlotte Amalie. Offshore grounds: the North Drop (about 20 miles north) and the South Drop (south of St. John).
📅 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
- The North Drop is about 20 miles north of St. Thomas, where the bottom falls from about 200 feet to more than 2,000 feet in under a quarter mile.
- On August 6, 1977, Larry Martin landed a 1,282-pound blue marlin on 130-pound line in the waters north of St. Thomas, an all-tackle world record at the time.
- Elliot Fishman's 845-pound blue marlin, caught in 1968, set an all-tackle world record.
- In 2009, 37 boats in the August full-moon tournament caught and released 207 blue marlin in four days, an all-time record for the event.
- The USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament (the 'Boy Scout') ran on the North Drop from 1972 to 2017 and was an all-release event.
What you can catch
- Blue marlin
North Drop prime June to September; strongest around the August full moon. Release them. - White marlin
Caught on the drops along with the blues. - Sailfish
Part of the billfish mix offshore. - Wahoo
Winter and early spring; prime November and December, good through March. - Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
Year-round; the biggest fish (up to about 60 lb) usually come in May and June. - Yellowfin and blackfin tuna
Caught year-round, but hard to predict; yellowfin average about 40 lb. - Kingfish, barracuda and jacks
Inshore and nearshore trolling targets.
Month by month
| January | Wahoo and mahi on the drops. |
|---|---|
| February | Wahoo and mahi. Federal closure on red, black, tiger and yellowfin grouper starts Feb 1; Grammanik Bank closes Feb 1. |
| March | Last of the good wahoo; grouper and Grammanik Bank closures still on. |
| April | Blue marlin start showing on the South Drop. Mutton and lane snapper closed from Apr 1. Grouper and Grammanik closures end Apr 30. |
| May | Big mahi; marlin building. Mutton and lane snapper still closed. |
| June | North Drop blue marlin season opens up; big mahi. Mutton and lane snapper closed through Jun 30. |
| July | Prime blue marlin, best around the July full moon. |
| August | Peak blue marlin, best around the August full moon. |
| September | Blue marlin still good on the North Drop. |
| October | Marlin tapering. Black, blackfin, silk and vermilion snapper closed from Oct 1. |
| November | Wahoo prime time starts; deepwater snapper closure on. |
| December | Wahoo prime; deepwater snapper closure ends Dec 31. |
Tips
- Everyone fishing recreationally in USVI waters needs a license from GoOutdoorsUSVI (gooutdoorsusvi.com). Ask your charter whether it covers you.
- Stay out of the Hind Bank Marine Conservation District south of St. Thomas: no fishing at all, all year.
- Fishing and anchoring are banned in the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument off St. John, except a few special NPS-permitted uses.
- Crossing into BVI waters (the BVI North Drop is next door) means BVI customs and a BVI fishing permit.
- Many reef fish can carry ciguatera; ask local captains which fish are safe to eat.
Rules and license
USVI DPNR Division of Fish & Wildlife (territorial waters); NOAA Fisheries / Caribbean Fishery Management Council (federal waters) · Official rules page ↗
- USVI recreational fishing license: all people fishing recreationally in Virgin Islands waters must get a license through GoOutdoorsUSVI (launched August 2025). DFW St. Thomas: 340-775-6762.
- Hind Bank Marine Conservation District: all fishing, and anchoring by fishing vessels, banned year-round.
- Grammanik Bank: Feb 1 - Apr 30 no fishing for or keeping any fish except highly migratory species (tunas, billfish, swordfish, sharks); pots, traps, bottom longlines and nets banned year-round.
- Federal species closures (St. Thomas/St. John): red, black, tiger, yellowfin and yellowedge 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, queen conch (St. Thomas/St. John), corals, sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
- Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument: fishing or take of any kind prohibited, and anchoring prohibited, except NPS-permitted bait fishing in Hurricane Hole and blue runner fishing near Cabritte Horn Point.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 4 boat ramps and 6 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- American Yacht Harbor
- Crown Bay Marina
- Yacht Haven Grande
Sources
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/rules-and-regulations/seasonal-and-area-fishing-closures-us-caribbean
- https://dpnr.vi.gov/press_releases/dpnr-launches-new-online-recreational-fishing-license-system-for-the-virgin-islands/
- https://www.nps.gov/vicr/planyourvisit/vicr-fishing-info.htm
- https://www.sportfishingmag.com/virgin-islands-winter-escape/
- https://virginislandsthisweek.com/st-thomas/st-thomas-water-activities/summer-sportfishing-season/
- https://valeriesims.com/world-record-blue-marlin-st-thomas-us-virgin-islands-1977/
- https://www.marlinmag.com/?p=44147
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.