chaguaramas — the bocas (bocas del dragón)
Peninsula in northwest Trinidad, facing the Bocas del Dragón. Schools of tarpon in the channels between the islands, from June to November.
Chaguaramas occupies the northwest tip of Trinidad, west of Port of Spain, and is the country's yachting hub, with marinas and boatyards. Ahead lie the Bocas del Dragón (Dragon's Mouth), channels between the peninsula and the Monos, Huevos and Chacachacare islands, where the tide exchanges water between the Gulf of Paria and the Caribbean Sea. The current concentrates bait, and tarpon gather in schools in the channels in the morning and late afternoon. The CDA cites fish of 100 kg or more, caught on fly, live bait or artificial lures. In a 2011 tournament, 236 tarpon were released over three days. Kingfish (king mackerel) and carite (Spanish mackerel) are also targets in the area. Fishing is from a boat, with a local guide or captain.
best season
Tarpon from June to November, according to the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA); the Tarpon Thunder Tournament used to be held in August.
Local rules: Trinidad and Tobago has no recreational fishing license: the Fisheries Act (cap. 67:51) does not create that document, and the bill that would have required permits for anyone fishing from a boat, tourists included (Fisheries Management (No. 2) Bill, 2020), lapsed in the Senate. The law's regulations set 12 inches (30.5 cm) as the minimum size for kingfish, Spanish mackerel, grouper and other fish, and ban fishing in the coastal strip between the mouths of the Diego Martin and Caroni rivers, at Port of Spain. Release tarpon carefully. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Via Western Main Road, west of Port of Spain. Piarco International Airport is east of the capital. Boats leave from the Chaguaramas marinas.
- facilities
- Marinas, boatyards, chandleries, restaurants and fishing captains in Chaguaramas; hotels in Port of Spain and on the peninsula itself.
- country
- Diego Martin, Trinidad and Tobago
tip
In the Bocas the current is strong and there is heavy ship traffic: wear a life jacket, carry a radio and don't enter Venezuelan waters. Release tarpon in the water, without lifting it out of the sea.
Loading…
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 Trinidad and Tobago
The current fisheries law (Fisheries Act, Chap. 67:51, of 1916) does not provide for a license for recreational rod-and-line fishing. The bill that would create a boat license and a permit for recreational fishing from boats, including for tourists (Fisheries Management (No. 2) Bill, 2020), lapsed in the Senate in March 2025. In Tobago, entering with a boat and fishing at Buccoo Reef requires written authorization. Confirm with the Fisheries Division whether there is a new rule before fishing.
- Minimum size of 12 inches (about 30 cm) for kingfish, Spanish mackerel, grouper and other listed fish, and 8 inches (about 20 cm) for other species on the list (Fisheries Regulations, regs. 3 and 4).
- Sea turtles are protected all year: it is prohibited to catch or kill them, and to sell any part of them or their eggs.
- Fishing with poison or explosives is prohibited, as is fishing in prohibited areas, such as the coastal strip between the mouth of the Caroni River and the mouth of the Diego Martin River, and the stretch between Claxton Bay and the mouth of the Cipero River, up to half a mile from shore (Fisheries Act, arts. 7 and 8; Fisheries Regulations, reg. 6).
- Buccoo Reef (Tobago) is a restricted marine area: fishing of any kind is prohibited in the park, and entering with a boat requires written authorization (Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, Chap. 37:02).
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 Chaguaramas Development Authority — Hunting and Fishing (página de 2015, cópia no Internet Archive)Tarpon June to November in the Bocas; Tarpon Thunder Tournament in August; 236 tarpon released in the 2011 tournament. The page has been removed from the CDA's current website
- official Fisheries Act, cap. 67:51, e regulamentos (Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, versão atualizada até 2016)Minimum size of 12 inches for kingfish, Spanish mackerel, grouper and others; banned area between the Caroni and Diego Martin river mouths; no license for recreational fishing
- official Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago — The Fisheries Management (No. 2) Bill, 2020Bill that would have replaced the 1916 law; status: lapsed in the Senate
- official Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries — Fisheries Management Bill: perguntas e respostas (12/08/2022)Under the bill, anyone fishing from a boat, tourists included, would have needed a recreational fishing permit; since the bill lapsed, the requirement is not in force