---
title: "Fishing Charters on St. Thomas, USVI · 6 operators"
url: https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/experiences/fishing
description: "Fishing charters on St. Thomas, USVI: six captains, the dock each leaves from, per-boat rates as published in October 2026, and what DPNR asks of anglers."
updated: 2026-10-09
source: https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas/experiences/fishing
---

[St. Thomas](https://virginislandvilla.com/st-thomas) · Experiences

# Fishing charters on St. Thomas, from Red Hook to Frenchtown

A private fishing charter on St. Thomas costs $775 to $1,000 for four hours and $1,400 to $1,700 for eight, per boat for up to six people, on the rate cards four captains publish as of October 2026. Most boats leave the East End, from Red Hook, Compass Point or Sapphire; book with the captain direct.

Written by Virgin Islands Villas · Updated Oct 2026

## The operators, side by side

*Rates and phone numbers from each operator's own pages, or a recent local source where it prints none, on the day in the last column; a group size marked "about" is our read. Every listing is free; an operator can ask to be added or corrected through our contact page.*

| Name | What | Departs from | Group size | Rates | Phone | Checked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Ocean Surfari](https://oceansurfari.com/fishing-charters/usvi-fishing-charters/) | Private inshore and offshore trips on two 37-foot boats, Backlash and Hitman, which Neptune Adventures also lists. | American Yacht Harbor, Red Hook (also Cruz Bay, St. John) | up to 6 | $825 (4 hours) to $1,699 (10 hours) a boat, fuel included; inshore bottom fishing $210 a person for four or more | (340) 227-5448 | Oct 2026 |
| [Double Header Sportfishing](https://doubleheadersportfishing.net/charter-information/) | Live-bait sportfishing on two 37-foot center consoles and a 40-foot sportfisher, half, three-quarter and full days. | Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina, slips N24 and N25 | up to 6 | $850 (4 hours, 37-foot) to $2,000 (10-hour marlin trip, 40-foot) a boat | (340) 777-7317 | Oct 2026 |
| [Virgin Islands Sportfishing](https://www.sttsportfishing.com/) | Captain Eric's 32-foot Sea Vee, Stevie Lou, on 4, 6, 8 and 10-hour charters, booked through its own page. | Compass Point Marina, slip 77 | up to 6 | From $775 (4 hours) to from $1,600 (10 hours) a boat | (340) 244-4995 | Oct 2026 |
| [Reel Livin' Charters](https://www.vifishingtrips.com/charter-info) | A 39-foot SeaVee center console on 4 to 10-hour trips; split trips for four or more on request. | Compass Point Marina | 1 to 6 | Call for pricing | (340) 626-8186 | Oct 2026 |
| [Capt Alvin Fishing Charters](https://www.fishinginstthomas.com/charter-rates-booking/) | A 37-foot Calypso, Emanuel, inshore and offshore, with a snorkel-and-fish option at the same hourly rates. | Waypoints Marina, Frenchtown | up to 6 | $600 (3 hours inshore) to $1,600 (10 hours offshore) a boat; page last dated to the 2024 season | (340) 626-4220 | Oct 2026 |
| [Mixed Bag Sportfishing (Offshore Adventures)](https://sportfishingstjohn.com/charter-day-rates/) | Sportfishing on its Mixed Bag boats, including the 40-foot Mixed Bag III; rates as an image on its rates page, tip 15 to 20 percent customary. | American Yacht Harbor, E Dock, Red Hook (also Cruz Bay, St. John) | up to 6 | $800 for 4 hours (32 ft) to $1,750 for 10 hours (40 ft) | (340) 513-0389 | Oct 2026 |

## St. Thomas fishing charters from Red Hook and beyond

Five of the six boats work out of the East End. Ocean Surfari and Mixed Bag leave from American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook, Double Header from slips N24 and N25 at Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina, and Virgin Islands Sportfishing and Reel Livin' from Compass Point Marina. Capt Alvin leaves from Waypoints Marina in Frenchtown.

By our measured drives, Red Hook is 28 minutes from the Charlotte Amalie ferry terminal and 24 from the Havensight cruise dock. Double Header and Capt Alvin pick up on St. Thomas and St. John; ask before you drive.

## How to choose between an inshore and an offshore trip

Inshore is reef and bottom fishing close to the island; Ocean Surfari's inshore bottom fishing works reefs in 60 to 130 feet of water, at $210 a person for four or more. Offshore is trolling for tuna, wahoo, mahi and marlin, and the longest days run ten hours: $1,699 with Ocean Surfari, and $1,700 to $2,000 for Double Header's marlin trip, by boat size.

The tradeoff: every rate here is for the boat, and the boats take six. Two anglers pay what six do. Ocean Surfari says its captains choose inshore or offshore on the day by the weather, and Mixed Bag puts the customary tip at 15 to 20 percent.

## What DPNR says about recreational fishing

The Division of Fish and Wildlife, part of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, defines recreational fishing as fishing where no catch is sold, traded or bartered, and bars recreational fishers from pots, traps and seines. It asks for a voluntary catch report after each trip, online, by DPNR's form. As of October 2026 its pages publish no license fee, season or size limit for a charter guest, so ask the captain about a particular fish.

## Questions about fishing charters on St. Thomas

**What is the average cost for charter fishing in St. Thomas?**

Nobody publishes an average, but the rate cards cluster. As of October 2026, four hours is $775 with Virgin Islands Sportfishing, $800 to $900 with Mixed Bag, $825 with Ocean Surfari and $850 to $1,000 with Double Header, and eight hours is $1,400 to $1,700. Each price is for the boat and up to six people; add the tip.

**Do I need a fishing license on a St. Thomas charter?**

DPNR's pages publish no recreational license requirement or fee as of October 2026, and Ocean Surfari says individual licenses are not required in US Virgin Islands waters. The BVI has its own rules, so ask before the boat crosses.

**Can you combine fishing and snorkeling on St. Thomas?**

Yes. Neptune Adventures, which lists the same two boats as Ocean Surfari, sells its Reel & Reef combo, an 8-hour day of fishing in the morning and snorkeling in the afternoon, at $1,929 as of October 2026. Capt Alvin adds snorkeling to inshore trips at his hourly rates.

**Do you get to keep the fish you catch?**

Usually, within the captain's limit. Capt Alvin cleans up to 25 pounds for you and the rest stays with the boat; Ocean Surfari fillets up to 20 pounds. DPNR forbids selling any recreational catch.

**What is the best charter fishing in St. Thomas?**

We do not rank captains. Choose by the fish and the dock: inshore bottom fishing for children or a first trip, ten hours offshore for marlin, and a boat leaving near where you stay.

Sources: [VI Department of Planning and Natural Resources](https://dpnr.vi.gov/fish-and-wildlife/fisher-resources/) (checked Oct 9, 2026)

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