east cape — los barriles and buena vista
Gulf of California coast north of Los Cabos, with deep water close to the beach. Roosterfish in the surf, mahi-mahi, tuna and marlin offshore.
The East Cape (Cabo del Este) is the stretch of Gulf of California coast between Punta Pescadero and Cabo Pulmo, with Los Barriles and Buena Vista as bases. Deep water comes close to the beach, and pangas and cabin boats reach blue water quickly. Mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and blue, black and striped marlin are caught on trolling and live bait; sailfish appear in the same water. Near shore, roosterfish hunt bait schools in the surf and can be worked from a panga or the beach, with poppers and live bait. Fishing hotels keep their own fleets and host tournaments, such as the East Cape Offshore, in Buena Vista. To the south lies Cabo Pulmo National Park, a coral reef where fishing is very restricted.
best season
With warm water, from midyear into autumn, mahi-mahi, tuna and marlin are more active; the East Cape Offshore takes place in late July. In winter, strong wind shortens the trips.
Local rules: Conapesca permit for anyone fishing from a boat, and NOM-017 limits (1 billfish and a limit of 2 for mahi-mahi and roosterfish per day, within 10 fish total). In Cabo Pulmo National Park (management program in the DOF of Nov 13, 2009, Conanp), the reefs are a preservation subzone with no fishing of any kind; in the rest of the park's sea, sport fishing is catch and release only, with line and hook, and shore fishing is for residents only. To the north, in the Boca del Álamo–Punta Pescadero fishing refuge zones (DOF Agreement of May 11, 2026, 5 years), sport fishing with rod and reel is allowed in Rincón and Punta Pescadero, but not in Huerta Vieja. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Los Barriles is about 64 km from San José del Cabo and 105 km from La Paz via Federal Highway 1. The international airports of Los Cabos and La Paz are the gateways.
- facilities
- Fishing hotels with their own fleets of pangas and cabin boats, inns and rental houses in Los Barriles and Buena Vista, with guides for beach fishing.
- country
- Baja California Sur, Mexico
tip
For roosterfish, find the bait schools near the surf early and retrieve the popper fast. Release the marlin and keep the mahi-mahi for the table.
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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 — Programa de Manejo del Parque Nacional Cabo Pulmo (13/11/2009)Rules 68 to 70: no fishing in the preservation subzone; sport fishing only with release and with line and hook in sustainable-use subzone 1; beach fishing only for residents, for consumption
- official DOF — Acuerdo que establece una red de 3 zonas de refugio pesquero en el corredor Boca del Álamo–Punta Pescadero, La Paz, BCS (11/05/2026)Rincón, Huerta Vieja and Punta Pescadero zones; sport fishing with rod and reel only in Rincón and Punta Pescadero; initial term of 5 years
- market Bisbee's — East Cape Offshore 2026Marlin, yellowfin tuna and mahi-mahi tournament based in Buena Vista, Jul 28 to Aug 1, 2026
- market Buena Vista Oceanfront Resort — South Baja Outfitters, pesca convencionalFull-day or half-day trips for billfish, tuna, mahi-mahi, wahoo, roosterfish and palometa