bahía piña — tropic star lodge
Historic lodge in Darién, on Panama's Pacific coast, with black marlin, big tuna and the famous Zane Grey reef a few kilometers away.
Bahía Piña lies in Darién, near the Colombian border, where the continental shelf is narrow and deep water comes close to shore. Tropic Star Lodge has operated there since the 1960s and is one of the most traditional offshore fishing destinations in the Americas. The best-known spot is the Zane Grey reef, a seamount that concentrates bait, yellowfin tuna and marlin. Fishing is trolling with live and natural bait, targeting black marlin, blue marlin and sailfish. Near shore, roosterfish, dog snapper and dorado on casting. The whole operation is run by the lodge, with boats, crews and weekly packages.
best season
Black marlin is most cited from January to April; blue marlin and sailfish mid-year. Yellowfin tuna and roosterfish make up much of the lodge's season.
Local rules: From December 2026 (ARAP Executive Decrees 9 and 10 of 2026), marlin, sailfish and swordfish are of exclusive interest to sport fishing and may only be fished catch and release; with natural bait, circle hooks are required and the fish may not be taken out of the water for photos. Roosterfish also becomes catch-and-release only, and sharks and rays may not be caught. Under the same rule, clients of authorized tourist fishing boats are covered by the captain's card. Border zone: travel only with the lodge's operation. Confirm the local rules.
- getting there
- Chartered flight from Panama City to the Bahía Piña airstrip, about an hour. There is no road access.
- facilities
- Lodge with its own offshore fleet, crews, equipment and full board. Outside the lodge, there are only small communities.
- country
- Darién, Panama
tip
At Zane Grey, marlin comes after the live bonito: let the bait swim free and give the fish time before setting the hook.
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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 Panama
ARAP's new rules (Executive Decree 9, of June 10, 2026) take effect six months after publication, in December 2026. From then on, anyone over 12 years old needs the ARAP sport angler card (carné), issued online (immediately, for foreigners), at the Ventanilla Única or at the regional offices. For foreigners: B/.20 for 7 days, B/.60 for 30 days and B/.150 for 180 days. Customers of an authorized tourist fishing boat are covered by the captain's card, and the boat needs its own license. Until it takes effect, ARAP's previous rule applies (Resolution ADM/ARAP 002/2012): confirm with ARAP or your operator.
- Billfish (blue, white, black and striped marlin, spearfish, sailfish and swordfish): species of exclusive sport fishing interest, catch and release only; with natural bait, circle hooks are mandatory; taking the fish out of the water for photos is prohibited (Executive Decree 10/2026, from December 2026).
- Atlantic cubera snapper, roosterfish and tarpon are also to become catch and release only; the exception is keeping 1 swordfish and 1 tarpon per boat per day, not for sale (Executive Decree 9/2026).
- Sharks and rays: catching or keeping them in sport fishing is prohibited. Retention limit of 25 fish per boat per day (15 in tourist fishing) and selling fish is prohibited (Executive Decree 9/2026).
- In protected areas (such as Coiba National Park), fishing is only allowed where the management plan permits it, and the card or license does not authorize fishing in a closed zone.
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 ARAP — Decreto Ejecutivo nº 10, de 10 de junio de 2026 (peces pico o picudos)Billfish catch and release only; circle hook with natural bait; in force from December 2026
- official ARAP — Decreto Ejecutivo nº 9, de 10 de junio de 2026 (pesca deportiva)In force six months after publication (December 2026): card, species catch and release only, retention limits