Panama Pacific Fishing Guide

Panama's Pacific side offers black and blue marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, roosterfish and big cubera snapper, from the Tuna Coast off Pedasí to Coiba, Hannibal Bank and Piñas Bay. Billfish are catch and release by law, and Coiba and Isla Iguana are protected areas with their own fishing limits. New national sport fishing and billfish decrees take effect on December 10, 2026, so check the current rules before you go.

📍 Panama's Pacific coast. Pedasí sits on the Azuero Peninsula's 'Tuna Coast,' about a 5-hour drive from Panama City, with Isla Iguana about 7 km offshore. Coiba National Park lies in the Gulf of Chiriquí, with Hannibal Bank about 17 miles west of Coiba. Bahía Piña (Piñas Bay), home of Tropic Star Lodge, is in the Darién about 150 miles south of Panama City.

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 Central America map →

Quick facts

Tropic Star Lodge in Piñas Bay opened in 1963, and the IGFA has approved more than 300 world records from the area, more than any other sport fishing destination.
Zane Grey Reef is about a 20-minute run from the Tropic Star dock.
Coiba National Park was created by Law 44 of 2004 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Hannibal Bank is a seamount that rises from about 1,500 feet to about 200 feet; it lies 13 miles from Isla Montuosa and about 17 miles west of Coiba.
Panama's tourism authority says marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish are reserved by law for catch and release in sport fishing.

What you can catch

Black marlin
Zane Grey Reef is best in January-February; off Pedasí in Mar, Apr, Aug and Sep. Release only.
Blue marlin
Offshore, mainly in the rainy season; found at Hannibal Bank. Release only.
Pacific sailfish
Big sailfish late Jan-Feb near Piñas Bay, often within 2 miles of the dock. Release only.
Yellowfin tuna
Reliable at Hannibal Bank; off Pedasí about April through July.
Roosterfish
Year-round off the Tuna Coast; also at Coiba and Piñas Bay.
Cubera snapper
Year-round on rocks and reefs; note the Coiba snapper closure.
Wahoo
Off Pedasí about September through December.
Dorado (mahi-mahi)
Offshore in the rainy season.

Month by month

January	Black marlin on Zane Grey Reef; dry season brings sailfish and roosterfish close to shore. Coiba snapper closure (Jan-Apr).
February	Best grand slam month at Piñas Bay; big sailfish and black marlin. Coiba snapper closure.
March	Black marlin off Pedasí; Coiba snapper closure.
April	Black marlin off Pedasí; yellowfin season starts; Tuna Coast tournaments (Apr-Jun). Coiba snapper closure ends.
May	Yellowfin off Pedasí; sailfish follow the bait at Piñas Bay. Rainy season begins.
June	Yellowfin; sailfish with the bait at Piñas Bay; offshore blue and black marlin.
July	Yellowfin season off Pedasí ends; whale season (Jul-Sep).
August	Black marlin off Pedasí; grand slam possible at Piñas Bay in calm seas.
September	Black marlin off Pedasí; wahoo season starts.
October	Wahoo; Tropic Star Lodge closed for maintenance.
November	Wahoo; Tropic Star Lodge closed for maintenance.
December	Wahoo; dry season (Dec-May) brings fish closer to shore. New sport fishing and billfish decrees take effect Dec 10, 2026.

Tips

Release all billfish; they are reserved by law for catch and release.
Before fishing Coiba, make sure your operator has MiAmbiente authorization; in July 2026 a sport boat fishing without authorization was ordered out of the park.
At Coiba, stay out of the no-take zone within 1.8 nautical miles of the islands and do not keep snapper during the January-April closure.
At Isla Iguana, do not fish on the coral reef, and do not anchor on or drag boats over coral.
Ask your captain about the new rules (Executive Decrees 9 and 10 of 2026) in force from Dec 10, 2026, including any personal fishing card.

Rules and license

ARAP (Autoridad de los Recursos Acuáticos de Panamá); MiAmbiente (Coiba National Park, Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge) · Official rules page ↗

Marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish are reserved by law for catch and release in sport fishing.
License: Panama's tourism authority says no license is needed now, but new Executive Decrees 9 and 10 (June 10, 2026) take effect Dec 10, 2026; the draft called for a personal fishing card for anyone over 12. Check current rules with ARAP.
Decree 10 sets billfish rules; the draft made catch and release mandatory, required non-offset circle hooks (up to 18/0) with natural bait and banned taking billfish out of the water for photos. Confirm the final text.
Coiba National Park (Law 44 of 2004): sport fishing only in zones and with gear allowed by the park's management plan.
Coiba management plan: no fishing within 1.8 nautical miles of the island coasts; snapper closed January to April; catch limits and minimum hook sizes apply.
Hannibal Bank and Isla Montuosa are in Coiba's Special Zone of Marine Protection.
Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge (declared 1981): no fishing on the coral reef; visitor entry fee applies.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 3 boat ramps and 2 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

El Nance
Puerto La Trinidad
Puerto Playita

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.