FISHING GUIDE · FAJARDO, PUERTO RICO
Fajardo and La Cordillera Fishing Guide
Fajardo is Puerto Rico's main boating hub on the east coast. From here you can troll for marlin, mahi-mahi and wahoo or fish the reefs and cays of La Cordillera. Tarpon, barracuda and jacks are caught close to shore.
📍 Fajardo and Ceiba on the northeast tip of Puerto Rico. Marinas include Safe Harbor Puerto del Rey and the Villa Marina area. La Cordillera cays start about 1.5 nautical miles northeast of Fajardo.
📅 Puerto Rico Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Puerto Rico map →
Quick facts
- La Cordillera Reef Natural Reserve was designated on January 2, 1980, and DRNA has run it since 1991.
- The reserve covers about 29,653 acres. It includes Las Cucarachas, Los Farallones, Icacos, Ratones, Lobos, Palominos, Palominitos, La Blanquilla, Diablo, and Hermanos and Barriles reefs.
- Palominos and Lobos are privately owned cays. Icacos is a popular public beach stop.
- Puerto del Rey is billed by Discover Puerto Rico as the largest marina in the Caribbean.
- The reserve supports local fishing out of Fajardo, Ceiba and Naguabo, including 33 important fish species plus spiny lobster and queen conch.
What you can catch
- Blue marlin
Offshore in summer and fall. Local captains call one stretch 'Marlin Alley.' - Sailfish and white marlin
Offshore. Sailfish rated at peak in October. - Mahi-mahi (dorado)
Offshore trolling. Federal minimum 24 inches fork length. - Wahoo (peto)
Offshore, mostly in the cooler months. Federal minimum 32 inches fork length. - Tarpon (sábalo)
Inshore, catch and release only. - Great barracuda
Around reefs and cays. Ciguatera risk, so release the big ones. - Kingfish and jacks
Kingfish, jack crevalle and bonito are common around the reefs. - Snappers
Reef and bottom fish. Watch the seasonal closures.
Month by month
| January | Wahoo offshore. Tarpon inshore. Red hind season is closed. |
|---|---|
| February | Wahoo and early mahi-mahi. Several grouper species are closed Feb to Apr. |
| March | Mahi-mahi and wahoo offshore. Tarpon inshore. |
| April | Mahi-mahi offshore. Mutton and lane snapper close Apr 1 in federal waters. |
| May | Mahi-mahi, then the first blue marlin. Tarpon inshore. |
| June | Blue marlin season gets going. Mutton and lane snapper still closed through Jun 30 in federal waters. |
| July | Blue marlin and white marlin offshore. |
| August | Blue marlin offshore. Barracuda and jacks on the reefs. |
| September | Blue marlin continue. Tarpon and jacks inshore. |
| October | Peak for sailfish, barracuda and bonefish. Good for tarpon, mahi-mahi, kingfish and blue marlin. |
| November | Wahoo return as the water cools. Some blue marlin. |
| December | Wahoo offshore. Tarpon inshore. Red hind closes Dec 1. |
Tips
- Use mooring buoys where they exist and never anchor on coral in the Cordillera.
- Release tarpon, bonefish and permit. Puerto Rico law requires it.
- Sargassum seaweed can sometimes make trolling hard, so ask your captain about conditions.
- Lobos and Palominos are private cays. Do not go ashore without permission.
- Do not eat big barracuda or other large reef predators because of the ciguatera risk.
Rules and license
Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) · Official rules page ↗
- PR Fishing Regulation 7949 defines a recreational fisher as a person with a license issued by the DRNA Secretary. Check with DRNA for the current license process.
- La Cordillera is a DRNA-managed natural reserve. Confirm any reserve-specific fishing or anchoring rules with DRNA before you go.
- Tarpon, bonefish and permit/pompano are catch and release only, all year, in PR waters.
- PR closures: queen conch Aug 1 to Oct 31 (banned year-round in federal waters); red hind Dec 1 to Feb 28; Nassau grouper (cherna) closed year-round; silk and blackfin snapper Oct 1 to Dec 31; nurse shark may never be kept.
- Federal seasonal closures: red, black, tiger and yellowfin grouper Feb 1 to Apr 30; mutton and lane snapper Apr 1 to Jun 30; black, blackfin, vermilion and silk snapper Oct 1 to Dec 31.
- Federal dorado and wahoo rules (since July 25, 2025): dorado minimum 24 inches FL with 5 per person and 15 per boat; wahoo minimum 32 inches FL with 5 per person and 10 per boat.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 3 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cordillera_Reef_Nature_Reserve
- https://en.coralesdelestepr.com/rn-arrecifes-de-la-cordillera
- https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/things-to-do/outdoors/fishing
- https://fishingbooker.com/destinations/location/pr/fajardo
- https://captainexperiences.com/blog/fajardo-fishing-reports
- https://www.drna.pr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Resumen-7949.pdf
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/rules-and-regulations/seasonal-and-area-fishing-closures-us-caribbean
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/regla-final-implementando-medidas-de-manejo-para-el-dorado-y-el-peto
- https://www.cdc.gov/Mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5534a2.htm
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.