 
| Virgin Islands Activities: Fishing Guide Great fishing opportunities exist in the Virgin Islands for anglers of all ages and experience levels. Some 21 world records in fishing have been set in recent years in the Virgin Islands; evidence of the amazing experiences that are in store for anglers! Fishing trips are available with licensed, experienced captains; they will share with you their wealth of knowledge on saltwater fishing in these areas and insure you have a great time. Fishing charters are available for ½ day (4 hours), ¾ of a day (6 hours) or full day (8 hours) trips and range in price from $250 for a few hours of flat fishing to $1200 for a full day of marlin fishing. For more information visit the fishing section for the island you are interested in; St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John.
Fishing GroundsThe Virgin Islands are perched at the edge of the six mile deep Puerto Rico Trench, an area known for having some of the hardiest game fish in the world. Two well known offshore fishing areas in the Virgin Islands are the North Drop and the South Drop. The North Drop, about 20 miles north of St. Thomas, is famed for marlin fishing. It is said to produce more blue marlin bites per boat than any other place in the world. It is not unusual to have five, six, seven even ten strikes every day during the months of May to October. Although these months are the optimum time for fishing marlin they can be caught all year round.
Flats are not numerous and windy conditions, deep drop offs and coral snags make shoreline fishing difficult. Despite this, there are many great opportunities to enjoy inshore fishing. On St. Croix, which has a narrow under-water shelf off its shores, fishing from small boats close to the shoreline is very rewarding. Some fishers try off of docks like Crown Bay Marina dock on St. Thomas and Clover Crest dock in Frederiksted St. Croix. On St. John, Leinster Bay is popular for shallow water fishing. Fishing from the rocks on coastlines or on beaches is common among residents on all the islands.
Offshore Game FishingOffshore game fish include blue and white marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna and wahoo among others. Most of these game fish strike with little warning and they are all known to give quite a fight. Marlin will fight for hours and hours and are said to become more aggressive the week before and after the full moon. Tuna are also strong fish. Wahoo are known to attack bait ferociously and then swim away from the boat; they can race up to 50 miles an hour!
Inshore Game FishingInshore game fishing is the mainstay of recreational fishing for visitors and residents alike and is an island tradition. Inshore game fish include barracuda, bonefish, kingfish, mackerel, snook and tarpon. There are lots of tarpon around the islands and your catch will generally average around 25 pounds, however catching a 40 or 50 pounder is not unlikely! Snook are nocturnal eaters so evening fishing is your best bet for reeling them in. There are charters that offer evening fishing. Methods for inshore fishing include fly rod, top water bait and trolling. Bonefish are a bit trickier to catch as they hide around corals making for an easy snag of your hook/line. Several local tournaments for adults and children are held each year that target inshore game fish.
The primary target of shallow water fishing and flat fishing includes bonefish. Permit and tarpon are also at the top of the list, with barracuda and jacks being the most common. Snook are caught occasionally and sometimes even sharks.
Regulations: Visit Recreational Fishing Regulations for more information. Fishing EventsThere are several fishing tournaments throughout the year. These include a Couples Valentines Tournament in February, the Dolphin Derby in April (both on St. Thomas) and a Memorial Day Weekend Tournament (on St. Croix). Kids tournaments include the July 4th Tournament. Some small boat series tournaments, like the Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament on St. Thomas, include adults and children. Visit our Events Calendar for more information and dates.
Fishing ClubThe Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club (VIGFC), located on St. Thomas, is an active club which schedules annual fishing events and tournaments. Many of the members are distinguished anglers, having set world records. The organization is well recognized for its conservation measures in billfish tag and release efforts. On St. Croix there is the Golden Hook Fishing Club.
Note: Information for this section was provided in part
by the VI Game Fishing Club, (340)775-9144 and the
Division of Fish and Wildlife, (340)775-6762 on St. Thomas and (340)773-1082 on St. Croix.
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The South Drop, 8 miles south of St. Thomas, is filled with warmer
water from the Caribbean Sea and reaches depths of some 12,000
feet. It is a popular area for dolphin (mahi-mahi), kingfish and
wahoo.
