Ascension Bay and Punta Allen (Sian Ka'an, Mexico) Fishing Guide

Ascension Bay is a big, shallow bay of flats, mangroves and channels inside a protected reserve. It has lots of smaller bonefish, a strong permit fishery, tarpon and snook. Fishing here is guided and mostly catch-and-release.

📍 Ascension Bay and the fishing village of Punta Allen, inside the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, south of Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

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Quick facts

Sian Ka'an was made a biosphere reserve in 1986 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
The reserve covers about 528,000 hectares, including part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
Punta Allen is a small village of about 500 people; locals guide fly fishing from about January to June and catch lobster from about July to February.
In the 1990s the Punta Allen community banned commercial fin fishing to protect fish stocks; local cooperatives hold most fly-fishing guide permits.
Ascension Bay is famous for permit, and is one of the best-known places to try for a grand slam (bonefish, permit and tarpon in one day).

What you can catch

Bonefish
Year-round; lots of fish, smaller on average.
Permit
Year-round; best in spring, the bay's top prize.
Tarpon
About April to October; big migratory fish in summer.
Snook
Best November to March, pushed onto flats by cold fronts.
Barracuda
More active on the flats in fall.
Jacks
Feed on the flats more in fall.
Cubera snapper
Big fish in deeper creeks, mostly at night.

Month by month

January	Steady bonefish; snook good when fronts push them out of the mangroves.
February	Like January; cold fronts can slow bonefish.
March	Prime season starts; permit plentiful on the flats.
April	Prime season; big permit, tarpon getting active.
May	Prime season; busiest time - book early.
June	Hot, calm flats; big migratory tarpon; hurricane season starts.
July	Quietest time for anglers; good tarpon; watch for sargassum.
August	Hot and calm; tarpon and permit; watch the tropics.
September	Slightly cooler, lighter winds; all three grand slam species active.
October	Good fall fishing; barracuda and jacks on the flats.
November	Productive fall; snook season begins.
December	Steady bonefish; permit and tarpon less predictable.

Tips

Practice casting in wind with a good double haul; shots run from about 20 to 80 feet.
An 8-weight rod handles the wind better than a 6- or 7-weight.
Bring plenty of bonefish flies - about 5 a day - and your own terminal tackle.
Pack bug spray for mosquitoes and no-see-ums, and drink lots of water.
Getting there: about 2.5 hours by road from Cancún to the dock south of Tulum, then about an hour by boat (or a long rough drive) to Punta Allen.

Rules and license

CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas) - Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve; CONAPESCA for sport fishing permits · Official rules page ↗

Sian Ka'an is a federal biosphere reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site (1987).
Recreational fishing in the Punta Allen area is catch-and-release only (Community Conservation Research Network).
Local guide cooperatives hold most fly-fishing permits and share out daily boat numbers among the lodges.
Mexican sport fishing permits (CONAPESCA) are individual and non-transferable; anglers fishing from shore do not need one. Your lodge or guide normally arranges permits.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 0 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.