Sport Fishing

  
Read our Sport Fishing experiences on our travel blog.

Costa Rica’s deep waters rife with marlin, mahi mahi and sailfish are a mecca for sport fishermen seeking world-class action. Fishing varies in each region according to season, but something is always biting in Costa Rica every month of the year.

Local tour operators throughout the country offer half or full-day fishing excursions that include free hotel pick up, snacks, beverages, bilingual captains and fishing tackle. Many hotels and lodges feature all-inclusive fishing packages and will also cook the day's catch. Anglers should note that most sport fishing operators release all major game fish - such as marlin, sailfish and tarpon.

Regional Fishing Info:

Northern Caribbean
Located on the extreme northeastern Caribbean Coast, Barra del Colorado has been voted one of the top ten places to fish in the world. Anglers come from far and wide to fish the Rio Colorado. The area’s freshwater river system forms a unique habitat that attracts monster tarpon and two species of snook. It is the only place in Costa Rica where 100-plus pound tarpon can be taken all year.

Just an hour south, Tortuguero’s winding canals and river mouths lend themselves perfectly to both ocean and inshore fishing. The ocean teems with 80+ pound tarpon, barracuda, grouper, king fish, mackerel, snapper and snook, while the freshwater canals are known for machaca (a relative of the piranha), mojarra, rainbow bass, snook and sometimes tarpon. Billfish, including Atlantic sailfish and Atlantic blue marlin, are common February through September.

Parismina, just south of Tortuguero, is a remote village that features high-end fishing retreats with luxury lodges and all-inclusive trips. The tarpon and snook fishing are good here throughout the year.

Southern Caribbean
The southern Caribbean towns of Puerto Viejo and Cahuita offer fishing trips on small boats or dugout canoes (known as pangas) with artisan fishermen. Fishing is usually practiced in the traditional way using a hand-line and hooks. While tour operators will happily arrange fishing trips, visitors can organize them directly with local fishermen by asking around town.

Northern Pacific
Year-round action makes the beach towns of Tamarindo and Playa del Coco hotspots among anglers. Flamingo is another favorite and boasts the largest marina in Costa Rica. Flamingo also hosts an annual sport fishing tournament in July, when the tuna and sailfish are running. Other common catches include blue, black and striped marlin, yellow fin tuna and dorado. Marlin are pulled 12 months a year, and peak times are from November to mid-March, August and September. Sailfish are caught year-round, but April through August are the best months. Tuna is also landed every month, peaking between August and October. Boat charters and multi-day package trips are widely available.

Central Pacific
Sport fishing charters are extremely popular in Quepos and Jaco, both famous for their warm waters and abundance of black snook, cubera snapper, dorado and tuna, as well as Pacific sailfish and marlin. The peak season for sailfish in Quepos is from December through April. Charters in Quepos can be arranged from $450 for a half-day to $1200 for a full day of fishing.

Southern Pacific
Drake Bay holds several fishing records, and trolling in this area often lands giant wahoo, yellowfin tuna and Spanish mackerel. Anglers can catch big fish almost any month, although the species vary according to season. Drake Bay is usually accessed through the Sierpe River, which is bordered by a mangrove estuary home to snapper, corvina and snook. The reef here is famous for monster Pacific cubera snapper. Sierpe is another great launching point for in and offshore fishing.

The waters off Dominical abound with hard-fighting sailfish, wahoo, mahi mahi and marlin. Inshore, anglers can fish for mackerel, jacks, roosterfish and large snapper. Wahoo, dorado, tuna and marlin are fished off Dominical from mid-December through April. Cuna del Angel features fully-equipped 26 and 31-foot boats and experienced captains.

The Golfo Dulce is one of the country's best spots for deep-sea fishing, and charters can be arranged out of Golfito, PuertoJiminez and Zancudo. Both inshore and offshore fishing trips are available.  Rooster, jacks, black tuna and mackerel are popular inshore catches while sailfish, marlin, mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna and snapper are caught offshore.  The famous Matapalo Rock formation, located just beyond the mouth of the Golfo Dulce, attracts snapper, roosterfish and amberjack. 

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Freshwater Fishing Info:

Central Valley - Tapanti National Park 
For the freshwater fisherman, inland fishing in Costa Rica is just as exciting as the deep sea variety. Tapanti National Park is located in the Orosi Valley, a 90-minute drive from San Jose. The Rio Grande de Orosi runs through the park, and trout fishing is allowed from April to October. A permit is required and can be purchased at the ranger station.

Southern Highlands of Costa Rica
Rainbow trout averaging 11 inches can be caught in the high-altitude Rio Savegre, near the picturesque river valley of San Gerardo de Dota. Fly fishing is best in May and June, and trout can be fished with lures from December through March. There are a couple of lodges in the area that offer guided fishing excursions on the river.  

Arenal Lake
A three and a half hour drive from San Jose, Arenal Lake is chock full of guapote (rainbow bass), one of the best fighting freshwater fish in Costa Rica. Created by ICE (the National Electrical Institute) in 1979 for hydroelectric power, Arenal Lake spans 33 square miles and is the largest lake in the country. March through July are the best months for fishing Lake Arenal.

The picturesque lake is flanked by Arenal Volcano and is 11 miles west of La Fortuna.  Arenal Lake is the premiere fishing spot for freshwater anglers, and other common catches include machaca, mojarra and tilapia. Several tour operators and fishing captains around Arenal offer half and full-day fishing trips on the lake.

Northern Lowlands - Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
Located in the northern Alajuela Province (16 miles southwest of Los Chiles), Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is home to a freshwater lagoon and a series of canals full of snook, tarpon, drum, machaca, rainbow bass and gar fish. The lagoon is fed by the Rio Frio which can be accessed by boat from Los Chiles or Cano Negro village. Fishing is allowed in the reserve from July 1 to March 31. A fishing license costs $30 per person and can be purchased from the ranger station. Several hotels and lodges offer single and multi-day fishing trips which include license fees.

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