Fishing guides › Caribbean Lakes & Rivers
FISHING GUIDE · DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, PUERTO RICO & CUBA
Caribbean Lakes and Rivers Fishing Guide
Largemouth bass and peacock bass were stocked in Caribbean reservoirs and now draw anglers to lakes in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Puerto Rico has DRNA bag and size limits for bass, and its reservoirs also hold tilapia, sunfish and catfish. Cuba's bass lakes are famous for big fish, but U.S. law bans tourist travel to Cuba.
📍 Freshwater reservoirs in the Dominican Republic (Presa de Hatillo near Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez province), Puerto Rico (Lago Guajataca, Lago Carite, Lago Dos Bocas and others) and Cuba (Lake Hanabanilla in the Sierra Escambray, Zaza and others).
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Caribbean Lakes & Rivers map →
Quick facts
- Presa de Hatillo, built 1977-1984 on the Yuna River, is described as the largest freshwater reservoir in the insular Caribbean (about 710 million m3).
- Puerto Rico's Maricao hatchery, built in 1937, raises 50,000 to 200,000 largemouth bass a year to stock local reservoirs.
- Butterfly peacock bass were brought to Puerto Rico from Colombia in 1967.
- Lake Enriquillo (DR) sits about 46 m below sea level and is salty, from seawater level to over 100 parts per thousand; it is not a bass lake.
- Lake Hanabanilla in Cuba is a deep 7,900-acre lake; the official Cuban bass record cited by Field & Stream is 18 pounds.
What you can catch
- Largemouth bass (lobina)
Main reservoir target in Puerto Rico, the DR and Cuba. Puerto Rico: 12-inch minimum, 10 per day. - Butterfly peacock bass (tucunaré)
Puerto Rico reservoirs such as Guajataca and Carite. 12-inch minimum, 8 per day. - Tilapia
Redbreast and Mozambique tilapia are a large share of fish in Puerto Rico reservoirs; also in Guajataca. - Sunfish and bluegill
Found in Guajataca and Carite. - Catfish
Found in Lago Guajataca. - Guabina (bigmouth sleeper)
Native Puerto Rico river fish; 5 per day. - Dajao (mountain mullet)
Native Puerto Rico river fish; 5 per day.
Month by month
| January | Bass fishing year-round in the tropics; Guajataca open Tue-Sun 6 am-6 pm (check current hours). |
|---|---|
| February | Reservoir bass and peacock bass. |
| March | Reservoir bass and peacock bass. |
| April | Reservoir bass and peacock bass. |
| May | Reservoir bass and peacock bass. |
| June | Hurricane season starts; heavy rain can muddy lakes. |
| July | The first Cotuí Bass Open (catch and release) was held at Presa de Hatillo Jul 21-23, 2017. |
| August | Hurricane season; check lake access after storms. |
| September | Peak of hurricane season. Guajataca dam spillway was damaged by Hurricane Maria in Sep 2017. |
| October | Hurricane season; check lake access. |
| November | Hurricane season ends Nov 30. |
| December | Reservoir bass and peacock bass. |
Tips
- At Lago Guajataca, no nets and no fishing from the boat ramps; boat motors are limited to 30 hp (2015 rules; check current).
- Bring your own gear to Lago Carite; facilities are limited.
- Lago Dos Bocas has free public launch rides around the lake run by the Department of Transportation; fish species there were not confirmed by our sources.
- Release big bass; DR tournaments at Presa de Hatillo are catch and release.
- Do not plan a fishing trip to Cuba from the U.S. as a tourist; U.S. law bans tourist travel to Cuba without an OFAC-approved purpose.
Rules and license
Puerto Rico DRNA (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales); Dominican Republic CODOPESCA (Consejo Dominicano de Pesca y Acuicultura) · Official rules page ↗
- Puerto Rico: fishing rules are in Regulation 7949 (2010) under Law 278 of 1988; recreational fishers need a DRNA license. Check current fees.
- Puerto Rico largemouth bass: 12-inch minimum, 10 per person per day in any reservoir or river.
- Puerto Rico peacock bass: 12-inch minimum, 8 per person per day.
- Puerto Rico dajao and guabina: 5 per person per day.
- Lago Guajataca is a wildlife refuge (Refugio de Vida Silvestre); no nets.
- Dominican Republic: Law 307-04 (2004) created CODOPESCA and replaced the 1962 fishing law; check current license rules with CODOPESCA.
- Cuba: U.S. law prohibits tourist travel to Cuba; local fishing rules not confirmed.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 1 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
Sources
- https://www.drna.pr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Resumen-7949.pdf
- https://seafwa.org/sites/default/files/journal-articles/LILYESTROM-192-200.pdf
- https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/vivero-de-peces-de-maricao
- https://www.islands.com/2169961/lago-carite-puerto-rico-oldest-reservoir-caribbean-secluded-fishing-lush-forests-peaceful-vibes/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guajataca_Lake
- https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/notas/un-pasadia-en-lago-guajataca/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dos_Bocas_Lake
- https://www.afar.com/places/lago-dos-bocas
- https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2026/03/02/drna-decreta-moratoria-de-60-dias-en-multas-por-pesca-sin-licencia/
- https://elnuevodiario.com.do/academia-de-ciencias-denuncia-degradacion-ambiental-en-la-presa-de-hatillo/
- https://cdn.com.do/deportes/deportes-nacionales/anuncian-torneo-pesca-cotui-bass-open/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Enriquillo
- https://www.ecolex.org/details/legislation/ley-no-30704-crea-el-consejo-dominicano-de-pesca-y-acuicultura-codopesca-lex-faoc153611/
- https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/bass-fishing-cuba-classic
- https://majorleaguefishing.com/archives/2014-12-19-will-cuba-be-open-to-fishing-again/
- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Cuba.html
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.