bahía de la ascensión — punta allen
Shallow flats inside the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. A world reference for fly-fishing permit, with bonefish, tarpon and snook.
Bahía de la Ascensión is a huge, shallow bay of sand flats, seagrass beds, mangroves and islets, inside the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Punta Allen, a lobster fishing village at the tip of the peninsula that closes the bay to the north, is the base. Permit (palometa) is the great trophy, caught on fly over shallow flats; bonefish move in schools, and juvenile tarpon and snook live in the channels and mangroves. It is sight fishing, with the guide poling the panga. Barracuda and jacks round out the day.
best season
Permit and bonefish year-round. March to June usually has steadier weather and clear water; from August to October there is hurricane risk, and in winter cold fronts bring wind.
Local rules: The bay is inside the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (Conanp): fish with local guides and operators and follow the reserve's rules. Two fishing refuge zones in the bay (DOF agreement of Dec 12, 2022, valid for 5 years) allow only catch-and-release sport fishing. Those fishing from a boat need the Conapesca permit. Local guides release the bonefish, permit and tarpon. Confirm the local rules.
- getting there
- From Tulum, a dirt road of about 55 km through the reserve leads to Punta Allen, 2 to 3 hours depending on rain. Airports at Cancún and Tulum.
- facilities
- Fly-fishing lodges and local guides, simple inns in Punta Allen and fishermen's cooperatives offering trips.
- country
- Quintana Roo, Mexico
tip
For permit, bring artificial crabs of various weights and practice quick casting in wind: the chance appears and disappears in seconds.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
before you fish in Mexico
Anyone fishing from a boat needs an individual recreational-sport fishing permit (permiso de pesca deportivo-recreativa), issued by Conapesca and obtained online through the e5cinco system, with fees paid per day, week, month, year or excursion. 2025 values reported by Conapesca: 1 day, MXN 204; 1 week, MXN 510; 1 month, MXN 766; 1 year, MXN 1,021; excursion, MXN 1,453 (adjusted every year). Fishing from land does not require a permit; spearfishing requires an individual permit (NOM-017-PESC-1994, amended in 2013).
- Marlin, sailfish, swordfish, sábalo/chiro, roosterfish and mahi-mahi (dorado de mar) are reserved for sport fishing within 50 nautical miles of the coastal baseline.
- Sea catch limit: up to 10 fish per angler per day, with a maximum of 5 of the same species. Billfish (marlins, sailfish and swordfish), sharks and giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas): 1 per day. Sábalo, mahi-mahi, roosterfish and baya: 2 per day. In freshwater, 5 per day. Fish caught beyond the limit are released alive back to the sea.
- Fishing within 250 m of beaches with bathers and of commercial fishing boats or nets is prohibited. Sport-caught fish may not be sold, and billfish may not be filleted on board.
- In natural protected areas, sport fishing is only allowed under the terms of the decree and each area's management program (Conanp); many have closed zones and stretches for catch and release only.
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official DOF — Acuerdo que establece dos Zonas de Refugio Pesquero Parciales Permanentes en la Bahía de la Ascensión (12/12/2022)Sport and recreational fishing only as catch and release within the zones; 5-year validity
- official DOF — Acuerdo de zonas de refugio pesquero en Banco Chinchorro y Punta Herrero (12/09/2013)In the considerations: Conanp authorizes catch-and-release sport fishing in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
- official DOF — Modificación a la NOM-017-PESC-1994 (pesca deportivo-recreativa), publicada em 25/11/2013Species reserved within the 50-mile zone, bag limits (item 4.9) and permits