FISHING GUIDE · WEST COAST, PUERTO RICO
Rincón and the Mona Passage Fishing Guide
Deep blue water is close to shore off Rincón, so this is the west coast's main offshore area. Boats troll for blue marlin in summer and fall and for wahoo, mahi-mahi and tuna in the cooler months, with bottom fishing on the banks when they are open.
📍 Rincón, Aguada and Mayagüez on the west coast, facing the Mona Passage; Desecheo Island lies about 13 miles off Punta Higüero (Rincón).
📅 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
- Desecheo Island is about 13 miles from Rincón; the island is a federal wildlife refuge closed to the public because of unexploded ordnance, and its waters are a Puerto Rico marine reserve (2000).
- Tres Palmas Marine Reserve in Rincón was created by Ley 17 of 2004 to protect coral reefs out to about the 60-foot depth line.
- Bajo de Sico, a seamount in the Mona Passage, has a reef top near 25 meters and a wall at 90 to 100 meters that drops to 200 to 300 meters.
- Abrir La Sierra and Bajo de Sico are federal spawning-area closures off the west coast.
- A local charter reports western Puerto Rico was ranked #3 in the world for blue marlin by ESPN's Billfish Extreme Release League.
What you can catch
- Blue marlin
Summer to fall; release recommended, 99 inch minimum to keep. - Wahoo (peto)
Best about November to April; 5 per person, 10 per boat. - Mahi-mahi (dorado)
Winter and spring trolling; 10 per person, 30 per boat. - Yellowfin tuna
Winter to spring; 27 inch minimum, 3 per person. - Blackfin tuna
Caught most of the year. - King mackerel (sierra)
Cooler months; 20 inch minimum, 5 per person. - White marlin
Summer and early fall. - Sailfish
Shows up mainly in winter (January).
Month by month
| January | Wahoo, kingfish, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, sailfish; Abrir La Sierra closed; Bajo de Sico closed to reef fish. |
|---|---|
| February | Mahi-mahi, wahoo, yellowfin and kingfish; Abrir La Sierra closed through Feb 28. |
| March | Mahi-mahi, wahoo, kingfish and tunas; Bajo de Sico reef-fish closure ends Mar 31. |
| April | Mahi-mahi, wahoo, kingfish and blackfin tuna; mutton snapper closed. |
| May | Blackfin tuna and mackerel; a slower transition month. |
| June | Blue marlin season starts around the June full moon; white marlin and spearfish. |
| July | Blue marlin, white marlin, blackfin tuna. |
| August | Blue marlin peak season; watch for storms. |
| September | Blue and white marlin, blackfin tuna; peak storm season. |
| October | Blue marlin continue; Bajo de Sico closed to reef fish from Oct 1; silk and blackfin snapper closed. |
| November | Marlin taper off; wahoo, mahi-mahi and kingfish return. |
| December | Wahoo, mahi-mahi, kingfish and blackfin tuna; red hind and Abrir La Sierra close Dec 1. |
Tips
- The Mona Passage gets rough when the trade winds blow; watch the forecast and go out early.
- Fishing vessels may not anchor on Bajo de Sico at any time.
- Do not land on Desecheo Island; it is closed because of unexploded military ordnance.
- Big wahoo and mahi-mahi bite trolled lures; marlin are best released.
- Check closure dates before bottom fishing the offshore banks in winter.
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).
- Abrir La Sierra Bank (federal waters): no fishing Dec 1 to Feb 28; pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets and trammel nets banned all year.
- Bajo de Sico (federal waters): no fishing for or keeping reef fish Oct 1 to Mar 31; fishing vessels may not anchor there all year; pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets and trammel nets banned all year.
- Desecheo Island refuge is closed to the public (US Fish & Wildlife); the surrounding waters are a Puerto Rico marine reserve regulated by DRNA.
- Tres Palmas Marine Reserve (Ley 17 of 2004): DRNA sets allowed uses; the law calls for no-fishing rules on the Tres Palmas reef. Check with DRNA before fishing there.
- Ley 147 of 1999 fines $500 to $10,000 for fishing in marine reserves without permission or damaging coral.
- Billfish and tuna minimum sizes: blue marlin 99 in, white marlin 66 in, sailfish 63 in, swordfish 47 in, yellowfin/bluefin/bigeye tuna 27 in.
- Daily limits: dorado 10 per person / 30 per boat; wahoo 5 / 10; king mackerel 5 / 10; yellowfin tuna 3 per person.
- Red hind closed Dec 1 to Feb 28; mutton snapper closed Apr 1 to May 31 (Puerto Rico waters) and Apr 1 to Jun 30 (federal waters); silk and blackfin snapper closed Oct 1 to Dec 31.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 3 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desecheo_Island
- https://www.fws.gov/refuge/desecheo/visit-us
- https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/leyesreferencia/PDF/2/0017-2004.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_reserves_in_Puerto_Rico
- https://www.mesophotic.org/publications/276
- https://captainexperiences.com/guides/makaira-fishing-charters
- 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.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-S/section-622.439
- 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
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.