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FISHING CALENDAR · DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Dominican Republic Fishing Calendar
The DR is best known for blue and white marlin off Cap Cana, Punta Cana and Casa de Campo. The official CODOPESCA calendar covers only closed seasons, so the fishing months below come from Marlin Magazine, Club Náutico tournaments and a NOAA study — each note says which.
Government fish & wildlife updates
- CODOPESCA – Calendario de Veda — Official closed-season chart
- Ministerio de Medio Ambiente — Veda announcements and enforcement
Month by month
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore | |||||||||||||
| Blue marlin (aguja azul) | Cap Cana: peak Jun–Sep, caught year-round; Casa de Campo best Feb–Apr (magazine — no official source found). Club Náutico Blue Marlin tournament each October.[6][7][9] | ||||||||||||
| White marlin (aguja blanca) | Cap Cana season Mar–Jun, best Apr–May (magazine). A NOAA study off Punta Cana found spawning signs in Apr–May. Club Náutico White Marlin tournament in May.[5][6][7][8] | ||||||||||||
| Sailfish (pez vela) | Jan–Feb can be excellent off Cap Cana / Isla Saona and Casa de Campo (magazine — no official source found).[6][7] | ||||||||||||
| Mahi-mahi (dorado) | Available all year off Cap Cana (magazine); spring run along the south coast (Dolphinfish Research Program).[6][10] | ||||||||||||
| Wahoo (peto) | Comes through Cap Cana in fall and early winter (magazine). No official best months found.[6] | ||||||||||||
| Swordfish (pez espada) | Occasionally released by DR crews (magazine). No official best months found.[7] | ||||||||||||
| Reef | |||||||||||||
| Caribbean spiny lobster (langosta) | Closed Mar 1–Jun 30: no catch, storage or sale (CODOPESCA).[1][2][11] | ||||||||||||
| Queen conch (lambí) | Closed Jul 1–Oct 31 (CODOPESCA).[1][11] | ||||||||||||
| Parrotfish (pez loro) | Closed all year: Decree 266-25 bans catch and sale to 2027. Also covers surgeonfish, angelfish, butterflyfish and sea cucumbers.[1][3] | ||||||||||||
Never keep: Sharks and rays (all species): permanent ban on catch and sale (Res. 0023-2017). Parrotfish and other reef plant-eaters closed until 2027 (Decree 266-25).[1][4][3]
Bait & rig for each fish
Blue marlin (aguja azul)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo, mackerel and live tunas.
Lures: Large skirted trolling lures.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
White marlin (aguja blanca)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and small squid.
Lures: Small skirted trolling lures.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Sailfish (pez vela)
Bait: Live goggle-eyes, pilchards, threadfin herring and ballyhoo.
Lures: Small trolling lures and rigged ballyhoo.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Mahi-mahi (dorado)
Bait: Ballyhoo, flying fish, squid and cut bait to keep a school near the boat.
Lures: Skirted trolling lures, small feathers and bucktail jigs.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 30–60 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common mahi start; increase for abrasion or mixed wahoo water.
Wahoo (peto)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and live baits on wire.
Lures: High-speed trolling lures and lipped diving plugs on wire.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: Use heavy abrasion/bite leader; many wahoo anglers add short wire or cable because of the teeth.
Swordfish (pez espada)
Bait: Common starting baits are ballyhoo, sardines, flying fish, squid strips or other locally abundant forage matched to size.
Lures: Trolling heads, feathers, plugs, spoons and metal jigs are common; match lure size and color to local forage.
Rig: Specialized deep-drop bait rig with breakaway/controlled weight and lights where lawful.
Leader: Heavy abrasion-resistant leader, often 150–300 lb class in specialized swordfish systems.
Caribbean spiny lobster (langosta)
Bait: Not caught on hook and line — divers use a tickle stick and net; traps where licensed.
Lures: Not caught on hook and line — divers use a tickle stick and net; traps where licensed.
Rig: Use only the collection device allowed by current local rules.
Leader: Not caught on hook and line — divers use a tickle stick and net; traps where licensed.
Queen conch (lambí)
Bait: No harvest-targeting bait recommendation is provided. Incidental captures should be released promptly.
Lures: No directed lure recommendation on a release-only page; avoid intentionally targeting the fish unless current rules expressly allow the activity.
Rig: No harvest-targeting rig is recommended. Keep dehooker and cutters ready for incidental release.
Leader: Use an abrasion-resistant leader that can be cut quickly if dehooking is unsafe.
Parrotfish (pez loro)
Bait: Plant material is part of the natural diet for many members, but BigJoe does not promote targeted harvest where parrotfish/surgeonfish protections or local restrictions may apply.
Lures: Small flies/jigs may take some species incidentally, but a targeted lure recommendation is secondary to species identification and local rules.
Rig: Simple dropper, knocker or light jig rig; keep hardware small and use only enough weight to maintain contact.
Leader: 12–30 lb abrasion-resistant mono/fluorocarbon is a common start.
Local fishing reports — what’s biting now
- FishingBooker – Dominican Republic fishing reports — Charter reports, mostly Punta Cana
- Billfish Report – Dominican Republic — Daily billfish releases
Sources
- CODOPESCA – Calendario de Veda (official closures)
- Presidencia RD / Medio Ambiente – Lobster and crab veda Mar 1–Jun 30
- Diario Libre – Decree 266-25 parrotfish/reef-fish veda to 2027
- Presidencia RD – 'Yo no como loro' (shark & ray ban, Res. 0023-2017)
- NOAA Fishery Bulletin – Movements and spawning of white and blue marlin off Punta Cana (2005)
- Marlin Magazine – Exploring the Dominican Republic's Diverse Fishery (2024)
- Marlin Magazine – Marlin Fishing in the Dominican Republic (2022)
- El Nuevo Diario – Club Náutico White Marlin Tournament, May 13–16, 2026
- El Día – Club Náutico Blue Marlin Tournament, Oct 1–4, 2025
- Caribbean Fishery Management Council – Dolphinfish Update (2023)
- Diario Libre – CODOPESCA veda on lobsters/crabs; conch Jul 1–Oct 31
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every month on this calendar comes from the sources above. Empty boxes mean no official source gives those months. Rules change — check the agency page before you keep a fish.
On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock — for those few hours it’s just you, the water and peace.