FISHING GUIDE · SOUTH COAST, PUERTO RICO
Guánica and Ponce South Coast Fishing Guide
The south coast has many bays and reefs close to shore, with fewer flats than other parts of the island. Anglers fish the reefs for snappers, barracuda and mackerel and run offshore for mahi-mahi, which are best here in late winter and spring.
📍 Guánica (Guánica Bay, Caña Gorda, Cayos de Caña Gorda / Gilligan's Island) east to Ponce (La Guancha boardwalk, Ponce Playa) and Caja de Muertos Island.
📅 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)
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Quick facts
- Caja de Muertos Island lies about 5.2 miles (8.4 km) off the coast of Ponce and was made a nature reserve on January 2, 1980, including its surrounding reefs and waters.
- Ferries to Caja de Muertos leave from La Guancha in Ponce Playa, though service has been interrupted at times.
- The Cayos de Caña Gorda are three mangrove keys off Guánica; the western one is called Gilligan's Island (Cayo Aurora).
- Punta Ballenas Nature Reserve (1991), part of Guánica State Forest, includes the Cayos de Caña Gorda.
- The Guánica Biosphere Reserve's marine area lies inside the shelf break, in water under about 30 meters.
What you can catch
- Mutton snapper (sama)
Nearshore reefs; closed in spring. - Cubera snapper
Big snapper on south coast reefs. - Lane snapper (arrayao)
Reef and sand bottom; closed Apr to Jun in federal waters. - Barracuda
Common on the reefs; release big ones (ciguatera). - King mackerel (sierra)
Trolled along reef edges; 20 inch minimum. - Mahi-mahi (dorado)
South coast run is about February to late April or early May. - Tarpon (sábalo)
Bays and river mouths; catch and release only. - Snook (róbalo)
Mangroves and river mouths; 22 to 38 inch slot.
Month by month
| January | Reef snappers and jacks; red hind closed. |
|---|---|
| February | South coast mahi-mahi run starts; red hind closed; grouper closures start Feb 1. |
| March | Mahi-mahi good offshore; grouper closures continue. |
| April | Mahi-mahi still running; mutton snapper closed starting Apr 1. |
| May | Mahi-mahi taper off by early May; tarpon improve. |
| June | Tarpon and reef fish; blue marlin season starts island-wide; mutton and lane snapper closed in federal waters. |
| July | Reef snappers, barracuda, tarpon; blue marlin offshore. |
| August | Reef fish and tarpon; storm season. |
| September | Reef fish; peak storm season, watch the weather. |
| October | Kingfish and jacks pick up; silk and blackfin snapper closed Oct 1 to Dec 31. |
| November | Kingfish, jacks and wahoo; deepwater snapper closed. |
| December | Jacks and reef fish; red hind closes Dec 1. |
Tips
- Fish early; afternoon trade winds can make the run to Caja de Muertos choppy.
- Caja de Muertos and Punta Ballenas are DRNA reserves; check with DRNA before fishing inside them.
- Use mooring buoys or sand bottom; never drop anchor on coral.
- Do not eat large barracuda, amberjack or big groupers because of ciguatera.
Rules and license
Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) · Official rules page ↗
- Recreational fishers must hold a fishing license issued by the DRNA Secretary (Reglamento de Pesca 7949).
- Caja de Muertos Nature Reserve (1980) and Punta Ballenas Nature Reserve (1991, includes Cayos de Caña Gorda) are DRNA reserves; Ley 147 of 1999 fines $500 to $10,000 for fishing in marine reserves without permission, damaging coral, or anchoring outside designated mooring buoys in designated areas.
- Tarpon (sábalo) and bonefish (macabí) are catch and release only, all year, in Puerto Rico waters.
- Snook (róbalo común): keep only fish 22 to 38 inches long.
- Goliath grouper and Nassau grouper may not be kept; nurse shark is protected in Puerto Rico waters.
- Red hind closed Dec 1 to Feb 28 in Puerto Rico waters; yellowfin grouper closed Feb 1 to Apr 30; black, red, tiger and yellowedge grouper closed Feb 1 to Apr 30 in federal waters.
- Mutton snapper closed Apr 1 to May 31 in Puerto Rico waters and Apr 1 to Jun 30 in federal waters; lane snapper closed Apr 1 to Jun 30 in federal waters.
- Silk and blackfin snapper closed Oct 1 to Dec 31.
- Daily limits: dorado 10 per person / 30 per boat; king mackerel 5 / 10 (20 inch minimum); wahoo 5 / 10.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 7 boat ramps and 1 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- U.S. Coast Guar RIO Ponce
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caja_de_Muertos_Island
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayos_de_Ca%C3%B1a_Gorda
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_reserves_in_Puerto_Rico
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00303/full
- https://fishingbooker.com/blog/?p=21790
- https://mariasbeach.com/wahoo-for-fishing-in-rincon-puerto-rico
- https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/rules-and-regulations/seasonal-and-area-fishing-closures-us-caribbean
- https://www.drna.pr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Resumen-7949.pdf
- https://derecho.uprrp.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ley-147-1999.pdf
- 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.