alvarado lagoon — papaloapan river
A system of lagoons and rivers at the mouth of the Papaloapan, a Ramsar site in southern Veracruz. Snook and fat snook in the mangrove channels, tarpon at the lagoon mouth.
Alvarado is a fishing port at the mouth of the lagoon system that receives the Papaloapan, Blanco and Limón rivers, in southern Veracruz. The Alvarado Lagoon System has been a Ramsar site since 2004, with 267,010 hectares of brackish lagoons, more than 100 inland lagoons, stretches of the Papaloapan, Acula, Blanco and Limón rivers, extensive mangroves, and the most important manatee area in the state. The Carta Nacional Pesquera cites the system and the Papaloapan among the Gulf's snook fishing areas. White snook, fat snook and black snook live in the channels and along mangrove edges; tarpon and jack appear at the lagoon mouth and along the coast. Fishing is by launch, with a local fisher, along the banks, around logs and at channel mouths.
best season
Outside the federal snook closed season on this stretch, July 1 to August 15. From fall to spring it is the most sought-after season for snook in the channels.
Local rules: On this stretch, from the Chachalacas bar to the Tonalá bar, the federal closed season for white and black snook runs July 1 to August 15 (DOF notice of March 16, 1994; Carta Nacional Pesquera 2022). The notice closes commercial fishing, and NOM-017 requires sport fishing to respect the closures. The system is a Ramsar site and manatee habitat; the Ramsar information sheet lists prohibited nets and mangrove cutting as threats. Fishing from a launch requires a Conapesca permit. Confirm local rules.
- getting there
- Via the coastal highway southeast of the port of Veracruz, whose international airport is the gateway. The Alvarado bridge links the town to the road into the southeast of the state.
- facilities
- A town with a waterfront promenade (malecón), fish and seafood restaurants, and boatmen who run tours through the mangroves. More hotels in Veracruz and Boca del Río.
- country
- Veracruz, Mexico
tip
In mangrove channels, cast tight to the roots and logs and retrieve slowly. Near manatees, slow down and keep your distance.
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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 Convenção de Ramsar — Sistema Lagunar Alvarado (sítio nº 1355)Designated February 2, 2004; 267,010 ha; brackish lagoons, more than 100 inland lagoons and stretches of the Papaloapan, Acula, Blanco and Limón rivers; main manatee area in Veracruz; threats include prohibited nets and rising catch
- official DOF — Actualización de la Carta Nacional Pesquera (26/07/2022), ficha Robalo del Golfo de MéxicoAlvarado lagoon system and Papaloapan River among the snook fishing areas; closed season in force
- official DOF — Aviso de épocas y zonas de veda para la pesca de diferentes especies de la fauna acuática (16/03/1994)Item XX: closed season for white and black snook, July 1 to August 15, from the Chachalacas bar to the Tonalá bar; point four bans commercial fishing during the closure
- official Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, Secretaría de Turismo — AlvaradoAlvarado Lagoon with the mouths of the Limón, Papaloapan and Blanco rivers, surrounded by mangroves; boat tours and sightseeing