Fishing guides › Pacific Mexico (mainland)
FISHING GUIDE · MAZATLÁN, SINALOA, MEXICO
Mazatlán Fishing Guide
Mazatlán has a long history as a billfish port, with striped marlin in winter and spring and blue marlin and sailfish in the warm months. Dorado and yellowfin tuna are common offshore, and the inshore and mangrove fishing for snapper, snook and jacks is good year-round. Good water is often only 20 miles out, so runs are fairly short.
📍 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, on Mexico's Pacific coast. Charter fleets run out of Marina El Cid (for example the Aries fleet). Three islands sit just off the beaches: Isla de Lobos, Isla de Venados and Isla de Pájaros.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Pacific Mexico (mainland) map →
Quick facts
- In 1969 Sports Illustrated called Mazatlán 'the most productive marlin port of the Western Hemisphere'; one fleet there, Star Fleet, caught about 3,000 marlin and sailfish a year.
- Back then Star Fleet tagged and released 714 billfish in one year for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service migration study.
- Charter reports put the best billfish and tuna water about 20 to 29 miles southwest of Marina El Cid.
- Isla de Venados, the largest of the three islands, is about 2 km offshore.
- Isla de Pájaros is part of the federal Islas del Golfo de California flora and fauna protection area; access is limited and needs a special permit.
What you can catch
- Striped marlin
Main billfish in winter and early spring. - Sailfish
Peak about February to June per charter guides; also caught in fall. - Blue marlin
Mostly July to October. - Dorado (mahi-mahi)
Most common late spring through fall; sport-fishing-only species, 2 per day. - Yellowfin tuna
Offshore around the buoys; fall reports show fish of 25-54 lb. - Roosterfish
Nearshore; sport-fishing-only species, 2 per day. - Snook
Mangroves and river mouths. - Snapper, grouper and jack crevalle
Bottom and inshore fishing all year.
Month by month
| January | Striped marlin offshore; snook and snapper in the mangroves. |
|---|---|
| February | Striped marlin; sailfish start picking up. |
| March | Striped marlin and sailfish; bottom fishing for snapper and grouper. |
| April | Sailfish; dorado start to show. |
| May | Dorado peak begins; sailfish. |
| June | Dorado and sailfish; blue marlin may show early. |
| July | Blue marlin season starts; dorado. |
| August | Blue marlin and dorado. |
| September | Blue marlin, sailfish, dorado and tuna. |
| October | Blue marlin, sailfish, dorado and tuna around the buoys. |
| November | Late blue marlin possible; amberjack strong inshore. |
| December | Striped marlin returns; amberjack and snapper. |
Tips
- Run 20 miles or more southwest of Marina El Cid for billfish and tuna; look for deep blue water.
- Every angler on the boat needs a CONAPESCA permit; some fleets charge for it separately, so ask.
- Do not land on Isla de Pájaros without a permit; it is a protected bird island.
- Keep only what you will eat: 1 billfish and 2 dorado per angler per day is the legal limit.
- Try the mangroves and river mouths for snook and snapper when it is too rough offshore.
Rules and license
CONAPESCA (sport fishing permits and limits); CONANP (Islas del Golfo de California protected area) · Official rules page ↗
- Mexican sport fishing permit (CONAPESCA): needed to fish from a boat or underwater; fishing from shore needs no permit. Permits are individual and cannot be transferred. Carry it while fishing. Fees change, so check current rules.
- Daily limit (NOM-017-PESC-1994): 10 fish per angler, no more than 5 of one species. Marlin, sailfish, swordfish and shark: 1 per angler per day, counting as 5 fish. Dorado, roosterfish and tarpon: 2 per angler per day (of any of these), also counting as 5 fish.
- Marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tarpon, roosterfish and dorado are reserved for sport fishing only within 50 nautical miles of the coast (fisheries law LGPAS, Art. 68).
- One rod or hand line per angler; line no stronger than 60 kg (130 lb). No filleting fish on board. Sport-caught fish may not be sold.
- Trips longer than 3 days: you may keep no more than 3 days' worth of limits. Fish over the limit must be released alive.
- Sport fishing is for fish only: no taking crustaceans (lobster, crab, shrimp) or shellfish. No fishing within 250 m of swimming beaches or of commercial fishing gear.
- Isla de Pájaros is in the Islas del Golfo de California flora and fauna protection area; access needs a special permit. Fishing rules around the three islands are not confirmed, so check current rules.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 2 boat ramps and 1 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Boat ramp near Bahía de Puerto Viejo
- El Cid Marina
Sources
- https://vault.si.com/vault/1969/03/31/marlin-lover-of-mazatln
- https://sportfishingreport.com/fish_reports/41516/dorado-are-still-hot-at-mazatalan,-but-the-billfish-bite-is-good-as-well.php
- https://sportfishingreport.com/fish_reports/42965/mazatlan-is-having-some-excellent-billfish-action-with-the-pacific-striped-marlin.php
- https://fishingbooker.com/blog/mazatlan-fishing/
- https://fishingbooker.com/reports/view/270
- https://fishingbooker.com/reports/view/13396
- https://www.amstardmc.com/en/excursions/sport-fishing
- https://www.luznoticias.mx/2024-08-12/sinaloa/cuales-son-las-tres-islas-de-mazatlan-y-por-que-se-llaman-asi/214602
- https://www.luznoticias.mx/2025-08-19/sinaloa/autoridades-en-mazatlan-acuerdan-estrategias-para-la-proteccion-de-las-islas-del-golfo-de-california/256363
- https://platiica.economia.gob.mx/normalizacion/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/PDF_Normas_Publicas/017-pesc.pdf
- https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LGPAS.pdf
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.