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FISHING GUIDE · CARIBBEAN COAST, COSTA RICA
Costa Rica Caribbean (Barra del Colorado and Tortuguero) Fishing Guide
The northern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is known for big Atlantic tarpon and snook in the river mouths, lagoons and the ocean just outside the bars. Fish are present all year, but weather and muddy rivers decide when you can fish; the rains from mid-May and in July and August slow things down. Most of this coast is protected land, so fish with a local guide and know where fishing is and is not allowed.
📍 Northern Limón province on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, near the Nicaragua border. Barra del Colorado is about 35 km north of Barra del Tortuguero, on the Río Colorado, a branch of the Río San Juan. Parismina lies just south of Tortuguero National Park. There are no roads; you get there by small plane or boat.
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 Central America map →
Quick facts
- Barra del Colorado sits inside the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge, which is run from nearby Tortuguero National Park.
- Tarpon are in the area year-round; resident fish hold in the river mouth and nearby lagoons.
- Barra del Colorado tarpon often run 75 to 150 lb, and fish of 200 lb are caught at times.
- Tarpon (sábalo) are declared a species of tourist and sport interest under Costa Rica's fishing law (Ley 8436, Art. 76).
- Tortuguero National Park has 50,284 hectares of marine area, and the park's official SINAC brochure lists 'No fishing' among its rules.
What you can catch
- Atlantic tarpon (sábalo)
Main target year-round in river mouths, lagoons and just offshore; often 75-150 lb. - Snook
Peaks in April, May, October and November; rocky bottom north toward Barra holds snook. - Fat snook (calba)
Run heavy from November through January. - Rainbow bass (guapote)
In the freshwater rivers and canals. - Machaca and mojarra
Freshwater species caught in the rivers and canals. - Jacks and mackerel
Offshore; Spanish and king mackerel are caught. - Wahoo, tuna and dorado
Offshore trips when the sea is calm.
Month by month
| January | Strong tarpon months (Jan-May) in the Río Colorado and lagoons; calba run continues. |
|---|---|
| February | Tarpon in the river and lagoons; light-tackle snook fishing. |
| March | Tarpon still strong; snook and tarpon both good. |
| April | Tarpon peak in spring; snook peak month. |
| May | Snook peak month; rains start mid-May and slow the action. |
| June | Quieter; calm days after storms can still be good. |
| July | One of the two rainiest months; tarpon much harder to land. |
| August | Rainy; tarpon hard to land with high, dirty rivers. |
| September | Rivers thin out; tarpon school beyond the river mouths. |
| October | Snook peak month; tarpon and snook good at Tortuguero. |
| November | Snook peak month; calba run starts (Nov-Jan). |
| December | Calba season; tarpon present year-round. |
Tips
- Get an INCOPESCA sport fishing license before you fish; many lodges include it or can arrange it.
- Fish with a local guide: Tortuguero is a protected area and fishing is only done in certain places.
- Do not fish inside Tortuguero National Park; its official rules say 'No fishing.'
- Keep tarpon in the water and keep the fight short; fish handled this way survive much better.
- Plan around weather: rain and muddy rivers slow the bite, and breakers can block boats from leaving the river mouths.
Rules and license
INCOPESCA (fishing licenses and rules); SINAC - Área de Conservación Tortuguero (park and refuge) · Official rules page ↗
- Every angler, Costa Rican or foreign, must carry a current INCOPESCA sport fishing license (carné); buy it online or at an INCOPESCA office (Limón has a regional office). Fees: check current rules.
- The license is required for all ages since a 2016 decree.
- Tarpon (sábalo) are a declared tourist and sport fishing species (Ley 8436, Art. 76). Release is strongly encouraged; check current rules on keeping tarpon.
- Fishing is banned in national parks, national monuments and biological reserves (Ley 8436, Art. 9).
- Tortuguero National Park's official SINAC brochure lists 'No fishing.'
- Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge is a protected area run from Tortuguero National Park; ask the park office or your lodge which waters are open.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 3 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Barco para Tortugero
- Cerro Tortuguero Jetty
Sources
- https://www.incopesca.go.cr/pesca/pesca_deportiva.aspx
- https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/cos162725.pdf
- https://marviva.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/pesca_deportiva_y_tur_stica_cr.pdf
- https://www.acto.go.cr/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/BrochPNTEng.pdf
- https://ict.go.cr/flipbook/guias/PDF-en/MINIGUIA_TORTUGUERO.pdf
- https://ict.go.cr/flipbook/guias/flip-en/GUIA_CARIBE/files/basic-html/page111.html
- https://www.frommers.com/destinations/barra-del-colorado/active-pursuits/
- https://ticotravel.com/costa-rica-tarpon-fishing/
- https://ticotimes.net/2026/01/21/giant-tarpon-and-wildlife-at-costa-ricas-silver-king-lodge
- https://delfino.cr/2024/10/costa-rica-podria-convertirse-en-un-lider-global-para-la-conservacion-del-sabalo-real
- https://ticotimes.net/2021/06/28/is-costa-rica-banning-fishing-for-blue-marlin-and-tarpon
- https://fishingbooker.com/blog/costa-rica-fishing-seasons/
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.