Puerto Vallarta & Banderas Bay Fishing Guide

Banderas Bay is a big, deep bay with fishing inside it for roosterfish, dorado, sailfish and small tuna. The best big-game trips run offshore to La Corbeteña and El Banco for large yellowfin tuna and blue and black marlin. Islas Marietas is a national park where fishing is allowed only in its outer zone, so check where you are before you drop a line.

📍 Banderas Bay on Mexico's Pacific coast, shared by Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and Nuevo Vallarta and Punta de Mita, Nayarit. Boats leave from Marina Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Punta de Mita. Islas Marietas sit at the bay's mouth; La Corbeteña rock and El Banco are offshore to the west.

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

La Corbeteña is an offshore rock with a Navy navigation beacon at 20°43'54" N, 105°50'32" W; Visit Puerto Vallarta puts it 38 nautical miles from Puerto Vallarta.
El Banco is farther out past La Corbeteña; local charter reports put it about 16 to 25 miles beyond the rock.
Islas Marietas National Park was decreed on April 25, 2005; the islands lie about 6 km southwest of Punta de Mita and 39 km west of Puerto Vallarta.
The Puerto Vallarta International Marlin and Tuna Fishing Tournament held its 69th edition on November 12-15, 2025, run by the Puerto Vallarta Fishing Club.
In 2022 the tournament made sailfish catch-and-release for the first time to help the species recover.

What you can catch

Yellowfin tuna
Big fish at La Corbeteña and El Banco; reports of fish over 250 lb at El Banco.
Blue and black marlin
Offshore at La Corbeteña and El Banco, mostly August to January.
Sailfish
Inside the bay and offshore, mostly fall and winter.
Dorado (mahi-mahi)
Found most of the year; sport-fishing-only species, 2 per day.
Roosterfish
Inshore all year; sport-fishing-only species, 2 per day.
Wahoo
Offshore, mostly in fall.
Jack crevalle, bonito and sierra
Inshore and around Islas Marietas.
Snapper and grouper
Bottom fishing; cubera snapper at El Banco.

Month by month

January	Marlin and sailfish still around; humpback whales with calves in the bay.
February	Sailfish; inshore jacks, bonito and sierra.
March	Inshore jacks, sierra and snapper near river mouths.
April	Inshore snapper, jacks and roosterfish.
May	Roosterfish and dorado inshore.
June	Yellowfin tuna season starts at La Corbeteña and El Banco.
July	Yellowfin tuna offshore; dorado in the bay.
August	Yellowfin tuna; marlin season starts.
September	Marlin, tuna and wahoo offshore.
October	Marlin, big yellowfin, sailfish and dorado.
November	International Marlin and Tuna Tournament (Marina Vallarta). Marlin, tuna, sailfish, wahoo.
December	Marlin and sailfish; humpback whales in the bay in winter.

Tips

Book a full day for La Corbeteña or El Banco; these are long runs from the marinas.
At Islas Marietas, fish only in the outer sustainable-use zone; no fishing near the beaches, in the public-use areas or in the recovery zone.
Use mooring buoys at Islas Marietas; do not anchor in the protected zones.
Do not fish at Los Arcos (Mismaloya) without checking current rules; it has been a protected marine area since 1975.
Every angler on the boat needs a CONAPESCA permit; ask your charter to include it.

Rules and license

CONAPESCA (sport fishing permits and limits); CONANP (Islas Marietas National Park) · 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.
Islas Marietas National Park: fishing is allowed only in the sustainable-use subzone (the marine area around the islands) and only with a CONAPESCA permit. No fishing in the core, public-use or recovery subzones.
Islas Marietas: tourist whale watching is not allowed in the sustainable-use subzone in winter, when humpback mothers and calves use it.

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

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 4 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Boat ramp near Boca Quimixto
Marina Cruz de huanacaxtle
Ocean Friendly Departure Point
Paradise Village Marina

Sources

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