Fishing guides › Martinique & St. Lucia
FISHING GUIDE · ST. LUCIA
St. Lucia Fishing Guide
St. Lucia charters troll for blue marlin, sailfish, tuna, wahoo, mahi and kingfish, mostly out of Rodney Bay in the north. Fall is the billfish peak, when the international billfish tournament is held. On the southwest coast, the Soufrière Marine Management Area has marine reserves where fishing is not allowed.
📍 St. Lucia, Windward Islands. Most sport fishing boats and the billfish tournament are based at IGY Rodney Bay Marina in Gros Islet, about 15 km north of Castries. The Soufrière Marine Management Area covers about 11 km of the southwest coast from Anse Jambon to Anse L'Ivrogne, below the Pitons.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Martinique & St. Lucia map →
Quick facts
- The St. Lucia International Billfish Tournament was established in 1991 and is run from IGY Rodney Bay Marina by the St. Lucia Game Fishing Association.
- The tournament record is a 707-pound blue marlin caught in 1996; billfish in the tournament are release-only.
- The Soufrière Marine Management Area (SMMA) opened on August 1, 1995, and the SMMA was gazetted in 2000 as the local fisheries management authority.
- The SMMA has marine reserves, fishing priority areas, yacht mooring areas, recreational areas and multiple-use areas.
- St. Lucia's recreational fishing licence (EC$50) is for citizens and residents only.
What you can catch
- Blue marlin
Top billfish; release-only in the tournament. - White marlin
Scored as a release in the tournament. - Sailfish
Best in the fall billfish season. - Yellowfin tuna
Weighed as an eating fish in the tournament. - Wahoo
Better chances in December. - Mahi-mahi (dolphin)
Better chances in December. - Kingfish
Active around January. - Barracuda
Common catch; often released.
Month by month
| January | Tuna and kingfish active. |
|---|---|
| February | Offshore trolling; ask captains what is running. |
| March | Offshore trolling. |
| April | Offshore trolling. |
| May | Offshore trolling. |
| June | Hurricane season begins Jun 1; fish on good weather days. |
| July | Hurricane season; check weather and swell before every trip. |
| August | Hurricane season; check weather before every trip. |
| September | Billfish season building. The 2026 billfish tournament ran Sep 22-26 at Rodney Bay. |
| October | Peak marlin and sailfish month; the tournament has often been held in early October. |
| November | Billfish still around. |
| December | Better chances for mahi and wahoo. |
Tips
- Visitors cannot get the St. Lucia recreational licence, so fish with a licensed charter boat.
- Do not fish in the SMMA marine reserves near Soufrière; rangers have fined fishermen there.
- In the SMMA, moor only on the marked buoys; white and blue buoys are for yachts, red for local dive boats.
- Release billfish; the tournament and local practice are catch-and-release for marlin and sailfish.
- Keep a legal distance from whales and dolphins when running offshore.
Rules and license
Department of Fisheries, Saint Lucia; Soufrière Marine Management Association (SMMA) · Official rules page ↗
- Recreational fishing from a vessel needs a recreational fishing licence (EC$50); only citizens or residents can get one.
- Spear guns need a separate permit from the Fisheries Department.
- SMMA marine reserves: no fishing and no mooring.
- Harpoon fishing, trap fishing and gillnets or trammel nets are listed as prohibited in the SMMA.
- SMMA fees are collected from boaters and marine users; amounts: check current rules.
- Fishing priority areas are set under the Fisheries Act; 1986 areas include Anse Cochon, Roseau Bay, Soufrière Bay and Anse de Pitons.
- Bag and size limits: check current rules with the Department of Fisheries.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 0 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Marigot Bay
- Rodney Bay Marina
Sources
- https://www.govt.lc/services/recreational-fishing-licence
- https://pmd.govt.lc/?p=448
- https://moaslu.govt.lc/demarcation-of-fishing-reserves/
- https://attorneygeneralchambers.com/laws-of-saint-lucia/fisheries-act/section-20
- https://www.oas.org/DSD/IABIN/Component1/ReefFix/StLucia2010/StLucia.htm
- https://proceedings.gcfi.org/proceedings/changes-in-the-shallow-reef-fishery-associated-with-the-implementation-of-a-system-of-fishing-prority-and-marine-reserve-areas-in-soufriere-st-lucia/
- https://www.enezgreen.com/en/marine-protected-area-of-the-soufriere-smma/
- https://stlucia.org/en/things-to-do/deep-sea-fishing/
- https://proceedings.gcfi.org/proceedings/an-overview-of-recreational-fishing-in-saint-lucia-west-indies/
- https://www.riotimesonline.com/st-lucia-billfish-tournament-september-2026/
- https://www.superyachtstories.com/places/caribbean/rediscovering-the-caribbean-with-igys-rodney-bay-marina
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.