FISHING GUIDE · LAJAS, PUERTO RICO
La Parguera Fishing Guide
La Parguera has miles of mangrove cays and shallow reefs for light tackle, with the shelf edge (La Pared) close enough for offshore trips. Anglers come for snook, tarpon, jacks and snappers inside, and mahi-mahi, wahoo and billfish outside the wall.
📍 Lajas municipality, on the southwest coast between Cabo Rojo and Guánica; mangrove cays such as Isla Mata la Gata and Cayo Caracoles, near Bahía Fosforescente.
📅 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 Parguera Nature Reserve was created on September 20, 1979, and is run by DRNA as part of Boquerón State Forest.
- The reserve covers mangrove bays, salt marshes and cays such as Isla Mata la Gata, Cayo Caracoles, Cayo Media Luna, Cayo Laurel and Cayo Turrumote.
- NOAA describes the area as spanning the shelf from shoreline mangroves out to complex shelf-edge coral reefs that support a locally important fishery.
- The shelf-edge wall off La Parguera is described as a 22-mile undersea wall; mesophotic reefs there are studied at 40 to 70 meters.
- Bahía Fosforescente is one of three bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico.
What you can catch
- Jack crevalle and horse-eye jack
Among the most common catches around the cays and reefs. - Barracuda
Common on the reef flats; release big ones (ciguatera risk). - Mutton snapper (sama)
Reef and sand edges; closed in spring. - Yellowtail snapper (colirrubia)
Reefs and shelf edge; 10.5 inch minimum. - Snook (róbalo)
Mangrove shorelines; 22 to 38 inch slot. - Tarpon (sábalo)
Mangrove channels; catch and release only. - Permit
Flats and sandy reef edges; good sight-casting target. - Mahi-mahi (dorado)
Trolled past the shelf edge.
Month by month
| January | Jacks and snook in the mangroves; red hind closed. |
|---|---|
| February | Jacks and snook; red hind closed; grouper closures start Feb 1. |
| March | Snook, jacks and permit; grouper closures continue. |
| April | Mahi-mahi and wahoo off the wall; mutton snapper closed starting Apr 1. |
| May | Tarpon, permit and bonefish improve; groupers reopen May 1 (except closed species). |
| June | Summer is the busiest season; tarpon and offshore fish good; mutton and lane snapper closed in federal waters. |
| July | Tarpon, mahi-mahi, wahoo and reef snappers. |
| August | Tarpon and reef fish; storm season, watch the weather. |
| September | Offshore wahoo and mahi-mahi; peak storm season. |
| October | Kingfish and jacks pick up; silk and blackfin snapper closed Oct 1 to Dec 31. |
| November | Kingfish and jacks; deepwater snapper closed. |
| December | Jacks and snook; red hind closes Dec 1. |
Tips
- Go early; the trade winds usually pick up by afternoon and make the trip to the wall rough.
- Never anchor on coral; use mooring buoys or anchor in sand away from reefs.
- Move slowly in the mangrove channels and around the cays; manatees use this area (it is critical habitat).
- Light tackle, lures and fly gear work well for jacks, snook and permit around the cays.
- Don't keep or eat large barracuda or amberjack 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).
- La Parguera Nature Reserve is managed by DRNA; Ley 147 of 1999 fines $500 to $10,000 for damaging coral, anchoring outside designated mooring buoys in designated areas, or fishing in marine reserves or recovery areas without permission.
- 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; 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.
- Midnight, blue and rainbow parrotfish, spotted eagle ray, southern stingray and giant manta may not be taken in federal waters off Puerto Rico.
- Queen conch closed Aug 1 to Oct 31 in Puerto Rico waters; limit 3 per person, 12 per boat.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 1 boat ramps and 1 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Club Nautico La Parguera
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Parguera_Nature_Reserve
- https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/?p=40109
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00303/full
- https://www.scubadiving.com/22-miles-adventure
- https://captainexperiences.com/locations/puerto-rico/la-parguera
- https://captainexperiences.com/locations/puerto-rico/cabo-rojo/seasonality
- 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.