Offshore
Blue Marlin
One of Costa Rica’s top offshore trophies: explosive runs, aerial battles and serious big-game fishing.
Blue Marlin Guide →
Fish Costa Rica • Trusted Sportfishing Experts Since 1990
Explore Costa Rica’s offshore giants, hard-fighting inshore species and unique freshwater fish. See when they bite, where to find them and which fishing trip gives you the best chance.
Costa Rica gives anglers blue-water pelagics, coastal reef predators, estuary fish and freshwater species, all in one small country, on two oceans.
Start with your dream fish. Once you know what you want to catch, it’s much easier to choose your travel dates, fishing region and charter.
Use the filters to quickly find offshore, inshore or freshwater species.
Showing all species
One of Costa Rica’s top offshore trophies: explosive runs, aerial battles and serious big-game fishing.
Blue Marlin Guide →
Costa Rica’s signature billfish, famous for speed, spectacular jumps and big catch-and-release numbers.
Sailfish Guide →
Powerful pelagics often found under feeding birds, spinner dolphins and offshore bait schools.
Yellowfin Tuna Guide →
Colorful, aggressive and acrobatic, with excellent table fare. A favorite on any offshore day.
Mahi-Mahi Guide →
Lightning-fast predators with razor-sharp teeth that add speed and variety offshore.
Wahoo Guide →
Costa Rica’s iconic inshore trophy, known for its tall comb-like dorsal fin and relentless runs.
Roosterfish Guide →
Powerful structure fish. Cubera snapper are prized for their size and brute strength.
Snapper Guide →
Heavy reef and ledge fish, usually targeted with jigs, live bait and deep presentations.
Grouper Guide →
Aggressive coastal predators of 5–30 lb, known for crushing strikes and hard fights.
Jack Fishing Guide →
Snook live around estuaries and river mouths on both coasts, with powerful strikes in salt and brackish water.
Snook Guide →
The Silver King: giant, acrobatic fish in the Caribbean rivers, lagoons and river mouths.
Tarpon Guide →
Colorful, aggressive freshwater predators, also called rainbow bass, at Lake Arenal and in the Caribbean canals.
Guapote Guide →
The silver, fruit-eating cousin of the piranha. Jumps like crazy on light tackle and fly.
Machaca Guide →
Costa Rica’s scrappy freshwater panfish: ultralight fun and one of the best-eating fish you’ll catch.
Mojarra Guide →The Pacific coast around Los Sueños, Quepos and Guanacaste is world famous for offshore billfishing.
Sailfish dominate the dry-season fishery on the Central Pacific, while marlin become more important at other times of year and on specialized FAD trips.
Exact conditions change by region, but these broad periods help you start planning.
Especially strong on the Central Pacific. The North Pacific peaks later, around May–August.
Offshore grounds, seamounts and FAD trips.
Particularly strong through much of the green season.
Along the rocky Pacific coastline.
Once you’ve picked your target species, choosing the fishing style is easy.
Choose offshore if your priority is marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi or wahoo.
Explore Offshore FishingChoose inshore for roosterfish, snapper, grouper, jacks, mackerel and snook. Great for half days and families.
Explore Inshore FishingChoose the Caribbean for tarpon and snook, with guapote, machaca and mojarra in the jungle rivers.
Explore the CaribbeanResponsible handling and selective harvest protect Costa Rica’s sportfishing for future anglers.
Billfish are handled carefully and released, while edible species such as tuna, mahi-mahi and snapper may be kept in moderation within the regulations. Every angler needs a Costa Rica fishing license.
Sailfish and marlin are the best-known offshore species, while roosterfish are one of Costa Rica’s signature inshore trophies. On the Caribbean side, tarpon is the star.
Offshore targets include sailfish, blue, black and striped marlin, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi (dorado) and wahoo.
Popular inshore targets include roosterfish, cubera and other snapper, grouper, jack crevalle, mackerel and snook.
Yes. Lake Arenal and the Caribbean rivers and canals hold guapote (rainbow bass), machaca and mojarra, while the Caribbean rivers and lagoons are famous for tarpon and snook.
On the Central Pacific (Los Sueños and Quepos), December through April. On the North Pacific (Guanacaste), the best sailfish fishing is usually from May to August.
The peak tarpon season on the Caribbean coast runs from September to January, with a second run in April and May.
Yes. Roosterfish are available all year along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, although conditions vary by region and month.
Send us your travel dates, where you’re staying and your target species. Those three details make it much easier to choose the right region and boat.
Send us your travel dates, where you’re staying, number of anglers and the species at the top of your list. We’ll match your group with the right destination and charter.
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