Fishing in Mexico

A CONAPESCA licence is required for every person aboard a fishing vessel, whether they fish or not. Shore fishing needs no licence.

3 researched spots — 3 Saltwater.

Licences and permits in Mexico

Mexican sport fishing permits come from CONAPESCA, the national aquaculture and fisheries commission, and the rules are refreshingly explicit: permits are issued to natural persons whether Mexican or foreign, and each is individual, non-extendable and non-transferable. You can buy them for a day, a week, a month or a year, which suits everything from an afternoon panga trip to a season. A permit is required to fish recreationally from a vessel or underwater, and fishing aboard a vessel also brings in the permits required under the federal duties law — so on a charter, confirm what the operator holds and what you are expected to hold yourself before leaving the dock, since the permit is personal to you rather than to the boat. Marine protected areas and national parks impose separate access rules that a CONAPESCA permit does not satisfy on its own.

When to fish in Mexico

Mexico's Pacific and Caribbean coasts run different calendars, and all three published spots are coastal. On the Baja side, Cabo San Lucas fishes striped marlin from October through June, with tuna and dorado in summer and early mornings best; La Paz and Espíritu Santo turn on roosterfish from May to October, hunted along the beaches at dawn. On the Caribbean side, Ascension Bay holds permit year-round — one of the few places that can be said of — with tarpon from March to September, and bright calm mornings the ideal. That spread means Mexico is close to a year-round destination, provided you move between coasts rather than expecting one to deliver everything.

What the fishing is like

All three Mexican spots are saltwater, and they divide into flats and blue water. Ascension Bay in Quintana Roo is advanced flats fishing for bonefish, permit and tarpon inside the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve, where fishing runs catch-and-release through licensed guides and independent access is restricted. Cabo San Lucas is intermediate offshore fishing for striped marlin, dorado and yellowfin tuna where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. La Paz and Espíritu Santo is advanced inshore and island water for roosterfish, dorado and yellowtail, inside a national park with protected zones. Roosterfish are a release fishery in Mexico, which is worth knowing before booking a trip built around them.

Species you can target

  • bonefish
  • dolphinfish
  • permit
  • roosterfish
  • striped marlin
  • tarpon
  • yellowfin tuna
  • yellowtail

Fishing spots in Mexico

  • Cabo San Lucas — Baja California Sur. Saltwater, Intermediate. Target species: striped marlin, dolphinfish, yellowfin tuna.
  • La Paz & Espíritu Santo — Baja California Sur. Saltwater, Advanced. Target species: roosterfish, dolphinfish, yellowtail.
  • Ascension Bay — Quintana Roo. Saltwater, Advanced. Target species: bonefish, permit, tarpon.

Official sources

Licence requirements and closed seasons change regularly. Always confirm with the relevant fisheries authority before you fish — each spot page links to its source.

Fishing regulations and licences by country · View the fishing map