Best Times & Seasons to Fish the U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands is home to world-class fishing but it often gets overlooked by anglers. Knowing the best time and seasons to fish the U.S. Virgin Islands can lead to the trip to truly remember.
The best time to fish in the U.S. Virgin Islands is during the summer months when many of the species migrate into the waters around. This goes from May to October, though some species peak during the winter months such as sailfish, marlin, and bonefish.
| Fish Species | Best Times to Fish in the U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Marlin | The best season is March through July. |
| Sailfish | November through March is the best fishing season for local sailfish. |
| Mahi Mahi | November through May the fishing season with January being the peak month. |
| Tuna | Year-round availability. August through February is the best times. |
| King Mackerel | February through May is the peak kingfish season. |
| Tarpon | The best fishing window is March through October. |
The Virgin Islands are known for their great views, beaches, and history, but they should also be known just as well for their fishing. The Virgin Islands is a small cluster of islands just off the southeast coast of Puerto Rico, in the Atlantic ocean.
The most common type of fishing in the islands is offshore fishing, with a popular spot being areas within the Puerto Rico Trench. There are still plenty of opportunities to catch fish from shore as well, but flats fishing is somewhat rare here with only one or two spots you can do so.
Best Time to Fish Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands will have some kind of fish in season at almost any point of the year, but if you’re looking to get the best value out of your offshore trip, going in the winter or late fall isn’t a bad idea as sailfish, yellowfin, marlin, and mahi-mahi are all in season.
If you’re looking to do inshore or even flats fishing, the summer will be your best option as tarpon, permit, and bonefish will all be in season.
With that being said, there are plenty of species that are active year-round in the area, so no matter when you go, you should be able to catch some fish.
I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic to create your combo.
Species of Virgin Islands (Best Times to Fish)
Marlin
Marlin is generally most active during the spring and summer, making them a popular target for those who are traveling for spring break. Marlin can be caught at any point during the day and are more affected by tides rather than time.
The best tide to aim for is high tide as there will be more fish roaming around, which is what you want when you are trolling for these fish.
Marlin like to eat baitfish, so anything that is a baitfish or that imitates a baitfish will work. The most common are mullet, mackerel, and shiny trolling lures. The most common approach to catch marlin is trolling, so you will most likely need to book a charter to catch one.
Marlin are offshore fish, usually hanging around offshore reefs and in open water. They will also stick close to deep water currents, as that is how they find a lot of their food.
Your charter will take care of everything necessary to catch these fish so your day should be pretty much stress-free.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Antigua & Barbuda, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
Sailfish
Sailfish are more active during late fall through early spring than any other time. As with marlin, they are more affected by tides than the time of day. If there was a time of day that was best, early in the morning would be it. More fish are active in the morning, making feeding easier for the fish.
The bait for sailfish is also similar to the bait used for marlin. You should try either live baitfish or shiny trolling lures.
The spots are also relatively the same. Sailfish like to hang around offshore reefs and sometimes wrecks. Try looking for a reef that is near a deep water current, deep water currents act as a highway for food for the sailfish.
Tuna
There are 3 species of tuna in the Virgin Islands, yellowfin, blackfin, and skipjack tuna. The skipjack and blackfin are available year-round while yellowfin are available from August through February.
The best time of day is in the morning, but you should be more focused on what the tide is doing over the time of day.
Herring, mullet, and pogies are among the most popular bait used for tuna. These are natural baitfish that tuna feed on all the time, any imitation bait will also work, but those are more effective for trolling.
Tuna live in open, offshore waters, rarely sticking to one spot. They can be found near reefs, but are more commonly found by trolling through wide-open water. It can take a while to find a pod of tuna, but once you find one and make a few laps around it, things pick up.
Mahi Mahi
Mahi-mahi are most active during January. They start their migration north, which goes right through the waters of the Virgin Islands.
Mahi-mahi are very active at night, they seem to like to feed under the moonlight. The next best option is in the early morning and the only time you should avoid is midday.
Mahi-mahi love to eat a variety of baitfish. Your best option for bait is ballyhoo, a smaller baitfish found in nearby waters. They will also bite on imitations of these, including spoons and other trolling lures.
These fish are known to be open-water fish, rarely staying in one place for long as they migrate a lot. They will spawn during the spring when waters start to warm up and continually head north as the water gets warmer and warmer.
With the Virgin Islands’ waters staying relatively warm throughout the year, fishing for Mahi-mahi in the winter can produce several fish until they start their migration.
Kingfish
Kingfish can be caught year-round, with the best times being from February through May. The only time of day that you should avoid is midday because the sun will be too harsh and the fish will be looking to stay closer to the bottom.
Kingfish like to feed on baitfish. They mainly like to feed on cigar minnows and sardines, but you can catch them using any other slim, silvery baitfish. If you are trolling, using artificial baits will work, but live bait will be your best bet.
Kingfish tend to stay towards the bottom of the ocean, mainly sticking around reefs and wrecks. There are some great options for these in the Virgin Islands area and you can be sure that your charter captain will know these spots.
Tarpon
Tarpon are most active from March through October, which also happens to be some of the busiest times to visit the area. Tarpon will mainly be active in the early morning, evening, and night. They don’t like the high sun, just like most fish, but even more so because they live in shallower water with less protection.
Fly fishing is a very common strategy used for tarpon, using flies that imitate baitfish. If you’re looking for fresh bait to use, shrimp, mullet and pinfish will be your best options. As for artificial bait, any imitations of those baits attached to a jig will work.
Tarpon are flats fish and the only flats in the area are on the north side of the Virgin Islands and in the British Virgin Islands. You will want to find areas with 6-8 feet of water and try to cover as much water as possible.
Recommended Fishing Guides/Charters in U.S Virgin Islands
These charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you great value. The captains are knowledgeable and professional and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.
| Recommended Fishing Charters | Location |
| Captain Red & The Abigail III | Red Hook, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Ocean Surfari Fishing Charters | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Drift Charters Fishing | Estate Bovoni, U.S. Virgin Islands |
For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish near Barbados, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Saint Lucia, please check out this helpful guide.
Best Time of Day to Fish the Virgin Islands
The best times of day to fish the Virgin Islands are in the morning and the times that match up with the rising high tide. The morning is so good because fish are going to be much more active as compared to the afternoon.
The fish like to have the light from the sun, but not the harshness from it that comes during the afternoon.
If you’re fishing from the surf, more fish will be in shallower during the morning, making them easily accessible. Fishing around dusk is also good, but it will only be productive for a couple of hours and then it’ll be nighttime.
Nighttime fishing isn’t a bad idea either, there are plenty of spots you can fish from at night and some fish are even more active during the night, but a majority of the fish will be most active in the morning.
Tidal Impacts on Virgin Islands Fishing
The tide will have a major role in how active the fish are. The inshore fish of the Virgin Islands may be more sensitive to tides as compared to other places because there is a lot less structure for them to take cover in and the currents are much stronger out in the middle of the ocean as compared to the Gulf of Mexico or nearshore by the mainland.
If you want to make sure you catch as many fish as possible, you should aim to fish around the times leading up to high tide and during high tide.
The high tide will bring in clean, oxygenated water and will lead to baitfish moving around more, which means that game fish will also be more active.
There are plenty of free resources for fairly accurate tide information, making timing tides much easier than what it was in the past.
Affect of Rain and Tropical Storms on Fishing in the Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands have had their fair share of tropical storms over the years, which is no surprise as they’re in the middle of the ocean. With that being said, tropical storms are most common during the late summer and early fall.
Those times of year still have great fishing, but as mentioned before, the summer and winter are the best times to fish down there. So, it would be smart to avoid planning a trip during tropical storm season, but if it’s unavoidable, you can still catch plenty of fish.
Tropical storms can be very devastating and if you’re on a small island in the Virgin Islands during one, fishing will be nearly impossible as there aren’t many places where you can get away from the high winds and rain. If you book a trip during the tropical storm season, be sure to check the weather and be safe.
Night Fishing in the Virgin Islands
Night fishing in the Virgin Islands can be a very effective method to catch fish. You’ll want to stick close to shore or within Sugar Bay, on the north side of the island. You’ll want to do this so that you can make use of any artificial light given off by the towns on the island.
While night fishing, you can expect to catch the same species as you normally would here, but some species may become more active at night when compared to other times of the day.
You will want to use smelly, oily baits to bring in more fish since their sight will be limited. As long as you are well prepared with the right gear, bait, and lighting, you will be able to catch fish all night long, but night fishing is not necessary to catch fish.
Shore and Surf Fishing in the Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands offer a great variety of shore and surf fishing spots. The main areas you will want to focus on are Sugar Bay, Salt River, and Sandy Point Beach. These spots are easily accessible and have plenty of fish roaming around in the nearshore waters.
You can expect to catch snapper, snook, barracuda, and some tarpon. Some of the best bait to use here is squid or herring, if you want to use fresh bait and if you want to use lures, spoons and crankbaits are very effective. You will want to have strong gear and plenty of bait, both of which you can rent and purchase on the island.
Best Fishing Spots in the Virgin Islands
-Surf/Shore Fishing
Sandy Point Beach
Sandy Point Beach is located on the southwest tip of the main island. There is a saltwater pond here and miles of beach that you can fish from. You can expect to get a variety of nearshore species including bonito, hardnose, jack crevalle, and snapper.
Hay Penny Beach
This beautiful beach is located on the south side of the main island and is within Manchenil Bay. There is great fishing along the beach and around Bastiste Point, which is a short walk away from where you will be parking.
This spot offers all of the usual nearshore species snapper, bonito, hardnose, etc. You will want to get here early in the morning, before the crowds and when the fish are the most active.
-In-shore
Sugar Bay
Sugar Bay is on the north side of the island and is the largest bay within the main island. It connects the Salt River to the ocean and is the most popular inshore fishing spot in the Virgin Islands. You can expect to get snook, tarpon, some kingfish, and bonito in this area.
There is plenty of structure to fish, but also the main channel in the middle of the bay that has a current that brings in clean water.
Chenay Bay
Located on the north side of the island, right next to Tamarind Reef Beach, Chenay bay offers great fishing. You can try in the middle of the bay for kingfish or closer to shore for tarpon and snook.
The bay is smaller than a normal bay, but holds plenty of structure and is near an island, which offers good fishing near its shoreline.
-Off-shore
A lot of the most popular species in the area will be caught offshore. Going offshore means getting a charter or boat rental, making it the priciest option out of your options. The most popular area to fish is the Puerto Rico Trench, which runs for 6 miles between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
You’ll be able to find any species your heart desires here and plenty of them. There are other offshore spots in the area, and you will catch fish at them as well.
Best Seasons to Book a Charter
The two main factors when considering when to book a charter are the charter’s availability and the best season to fish for your target species. The Virgin Islands’ busy season is during the winter and spring, as people will be on a break from school and looking to travel.
So, if you’re looking to avoid crowds and catch lots of fish, the summer would be a good time to go. If you don’t care about the crowds and just want to catch some big fish, the winter is a good time to go as some of the more popular offshore species are in season and very active.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish the U.S. Virgin Islands, please check out this helpful article I wrote.
