los roques archipelago
National park in the Venezuelan Caribbean and one of the most sought-after bonefish destinations in the Caribbean. Sight fishing on the flats.
Los Roques is an archipelago of islands, cays and reefs in the Caribbean Sea, north of the central coast of Venezuela, and is a national park. White-sand flats and shallow lagoons make Los Roques one of the most sought-after bonefish destinations in the Caribbean. Bonefish move in schools and are sight fished, on foot or from a boat. Tarpon appears in the channels and mangroves, and barracuda and jacks patrol the edges of the flats. Permit is the hardest trophy. Fishing is with fly or light spinning gear, always with a local guide. In 2008, local guides and scientists launched a bonefish tagging program there.
best season
All year round. Sight fishing on the flats does best with sun, light wind and moon tides. Set the dates with your guide.
Local rules: National park run by Inparques, with its own use regulations: confirm with your guide and with Inparques where fishing is allowed. Sport fishing permit from INSOPESCA (Fisheries and Aquaculture Law). Fish caught in sport fishing cannot be sold. Release the bonefish, permit and tarpon. Confirm the local rules.
- getting there
- Small flights from Caracas (Maiquetía) and Margarita Island to the Gran Roque airstrip. Within the archipelago, boat only.
- facilities
- Inns on Gran Roque, local fishing guides and fishing boats.
- country
- Dependências Federais, Venezuela
tip
Polarized sunglasses, a small shrimp fly and 7 to 8 weight gear with plenty of backing: bonefish run far on the first burst. Enter the water slowly.
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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 Venezuela
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Law (Decree-Law 1,408/2014) allows sport and recreational fishing to Venezuelans and foreigners, resident or not in the country, with prior authorization. The permit is issued by INSOPESCA, is valid for up to one year and is renewable. The law (art. 29) sets the fee in tax units (U.T.): 3 U.T. for an individual and 10 U.T. for a non-resident foreigner. In a national park, the Inparques rules also apply.
- Fish from sport and recreational fishing may not be sold (Decree-Law 1,408/2014, art. 16).
- The sport fishing permit covers only permitted species and areas and may not interfere with other fisheries (Decree-Law 1,408/2014, art. 26).
- National parks (Inparques) have their own use rules and zoning: check which zones allow fishing before you go.
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 INSOPESCA — Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura (Decreto 1.408, de 13/11/2014)Authorization for sport and recreational fishing (arts. 10, 16 and 26)
- official Inparques — Instituto Nacional de ParquesAgency that manages the national parks
- scientific González et al. (2008) — Promoting a Bonefish Tag and Recapture Program in Los Roques Archipelago National Park (Proceedings GCFI 61)Los Roques as one of the most sought-after bonefish destinations in the Caribbean; program with local guides