Fishing guides › Jamaica & Cayman Islands
FISHING GUIDE · CAYMAN ISLANDS
Cayman Islands Fishing Guide
The Cayman Islands sit beside very deep water, so boats reach marlin, wahoo, tuna and mahi water within minutes of the dock. Little Cayman and Grand Cayman's North Sound also offer bonefish, tarpon and permit on the flats. About half the coast is now inside marine parks with zone rules, so anglers need to know which zone they are in.
📍 Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean. Most charters leave from George Town and the North Sound on Grand Cayman. Little Cayman has the flats at South Hole Sound, Owen Island and the inland Tarpon Pond; Cayman Brac is known for its tournaments. Offshore banks include 12-Mile Bank.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Jamaica & Cayman Islands map →
Quick facts
- The drop-off is about a quarter mile from shore, so good offshore catches come very close in.
- Marine parks were first set up in 1986 and were expanded in 2021 to cover about half of Cayman's coastal waters.
- In marine reserve zones, tarpon, bonefish and permit are catch-and-release only.
- Non-Caymanians may not spearfish, and bringing any spearing device into the islands is illegal.
- Little Cayman has an inland lagoon (Tarpon Pond) that holds many tarpon, some over 60 pounds.
What you can catch
- Blue marlin
Caught year-round; Grand Cayman is good around May to July. - Wahoo
Caught year-round; peak about October to March. - Yellowfin tuna
Year-round; strongest about March to June. - Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
Weed lines close to shore and on 12-Mile Bank. - Bonefish
North Sound flats and the Little Cayman flats; best about May to July. - Tarpon
About April to August; Little Cayman's Tarpon Pond is good for beginning fly anglers. - Permit
Feed on Little Cayman flats near the reef; the hardest part of a grand slam. - Barracuda
Caught year-round offshore and on the flats.
Month by month
| January | Wahoo season. Lobster open (since Dec 1). Nassau grouper closed. |
|---|---|
| February | Wahoo. Lobster season ends Feb 28. Nassau grouper closed. |
| March | Tuna picking up. Lobster closed from Mar 1. Nassau grouper closed. |
| April | Tuna; tarpon season starts. Nassau grouper and spawning-area closures end Apr 30. |
| May | Bonefish peak begins; marlin good off Grand Cayman. Conch closed from May 1. |
| June | Marlin, tuna, bonefish and tarpon. |
| July | Marlin and bonefish; tarpon season. |
| August | Tarpon season ends about now. |
| September | Offshore trolling for marlin, wahoo and tuna. |
| October | Wahoo season starts. A Driff N Dragg Shootout is listed for Oct 24, 2026. |
| November | Wahoo. Conch season open from Nov 1. |
| December | Lobster opens Dec 1. Nassau grouper and grouper spawning-area closures start Dec 1. |
Tips
- Download the Cayman DoE app or the marine park brochures to see zone boundaries before you fish.
- Release all sharks and rays; taking them is prohibited, and so is feeding sharks.
- Fish under 8 inches must go back (a few bait species are excepted).
- Release any Nassau grouper caught in the closed season alive; the DoE recommends circle hooks.
- No taking any marine life while scuba diving (licensed lionfish culling aside).
Rules and license
Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DoE) / National Conservation Council · Official rules page ↗
- Catch-and-release fishing does not need a licence; non-Caymanian residents need a licence to take marine life from shore (check current rules for visitors).
- Spearfishing: licences only for Caymanians over 18; visitors may not spearfish.
- Marine reserve zones: no shore fishing; tarpon, bonefish and permit catch-and-release only. Environmental zones: no fishing or entering the water.
- Line fishing zones and open zones allow hook-and-line fishing; fish must be at least 8 inches.
- Lobster closed Mar 1 - Nov 30 (3 per person or 6 per boat, 6-inch tail). Conch closed May 1 - Oct 31 (5 per person or 10 per boat).
- Nassau grouper closed Dec 1 - Apr 30; spawning aggregation zones closed to taking, entering the water and anchoring (50-200 ft) in that period.
- Never take: sharks, rays, goliath grouper (jewfish), tilefish, filefish, angelfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, starfish.
- Penalties under the law can reach CI$500,000 and a year in jail.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 13 boat ramps and 4 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Boat ramp near Frank Sound
- Boat ramp near Governors Creek
- Boat ramp near Mitchells Creek
- Boat ramp near Red Spot
- Boat ramp near South Sound
- Captain Marvin's (dock)
- Governors Creek
- Gun Bay Dock
- Morgan's Harbour Marina
- Salt Creek
Sources
- https://doe.ky/marine/marine-parks/
- https://www.radiocayman.gov.ky/news/doe-statement-on-shore-fishing
- https://www.visitcaymanislands.com/things-to-do/diving/protect-the-seas
- https://www.caymancompass.com/2021/03/15/marine-park-expansion-gazetted-2-years-after-cabinet-approval/
- https://www.caymancompass.com/?p=436398
- https://caymanresident.com/things-to-do/boating/marine-rules-regulations
- https://caymanresident.com/things-to-do/boating/marine-rules-regulations/catch-limits
- https://www.explorecayman.com/fishing/rules-restrictions-on-fishing-in-the-cayman-islands
- http://www.fishcayman.com/
- https://fishingbooker.com/blog/?p=35067
- https://www.odumagazine.com/winter-fishing-escape/
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.