placencia — stann creek
A narrow peninsula in southern Belize, between a lagoon and the sea. Flats around the cayes to the east with permit, tarpon and snook; reef and deep water nearby.
Placencia sits at the tip of a peninsula less than a mile (1.6 km) wide, between Placencia Lagoon to the west and the Caribbean to the east. The flats around the cayes east of the peninsula are among the world's most sought-after places for permit on the fly, and there are tarpon and snook in the mangroves, channels and lagoon. Farther out, on the reef and in deep water, boats catch snapper, kingfish, barracuda, wahoo and mahi-mahi. Gladden Spit, 36 km offshore, is a spawning site for groupers and snappers, where whale sharks gather on the days after the full moon, from March to June. Flats fishing is done from a panga with a guide.
best season
Permit, tarpon and snook all year. From March to June the weather tends to be steadier, and it's whale shark season at Gladden Spit; June to November is hurricane season.
Local rules: CZMAI sport fishing license required; Placencia Tourism Center was an authorized agent in 2019. Bonefish, permit and tarpon are catch-and-release only in Belize, and possessing any specimen is prohibited. In the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve (SI 95 of 2003), the general-use zone requires a license, and fishing is prohibited in the conservation zone around Middle Silk Caye and in the Gladden Spit spawning area; according to the management plan, night fishing is not allowed in the reserve. Farther north, the South Water Caye Marine Reserve allows sport fishing only with a license, in the general-use zone. Confirm local rules.
- getting there
- Via the Southern Highway and the peninsula road from Belize City, or on a short domestic flight to the Placencia airstrip. There is a boat from Independence, across the lagoon.
- facilities
- Hotels, resorts and inns on the peninsula, flats guides, dive and deep-sea fishing boats, restaurants, and a fishing tournament in September.
- country
- Distrito de Stann Creek, Belize
tip
For permit, bring crab flies in different weights and practice casting in the wind. Near whale sharks, keep your distance and don't touch them.
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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 Belize
The sport fishing license is issued by CZMAI (Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute), under the 2009 sport fishing regulations. It can be bought online on the CZMAI website, at the office in Belize City or from authorized agents (shops and operators). There are daily and weekly licenses; the annual one is only for permanent residents. In the official CZMAI brochure from 2019, the fees were BZ$20 per day, BZ$50 per week and BZ$100 per year: confirm the current price. In marine reserves there may be a separate use fee.
- Bonefish (Albula vulpes), tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) and permit (Trachinotus falcatus) are protected: catch and release only, and it is prohibited for anyone in the country to possess any specimen.
- Lobster closed season from March 1 to June 30; queen conch from July 1 to September 30 (or until the quota is filled); Nassau grouper from December 1 to March 31.
- In marine reserves, it is prohibited to use gillnets, speargun, and scuba gear for fishing; reserves have no-take zones and catch-and-release-only zones (such as Hol Chan, near San Pedro).
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 Belize Fisheries Department — Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve Management Plan 2011-2016 (com o texto do SI 95 de 2003)10,523 ha, 36 km from Placencia; SI 68 of 2000 and SI 95 of 2003; no fishing in Conservation Zone I or the spawning area; whale sharks in the 10 days after the full moon, March to June
- official Belize Fisheries Department — South Water Caye Marine ReserveSI 118 of 1996; sport fishing only with a license in the general-use zone; preservation zone closed
- market Placencia BTIA — Fishing in PlacenciaFlats around the cayes east of the peninsula, among the best for permit; tarpon, snook, kingfish, wahoo, barracuda and cubera
- official CZMAI — Sport Fishing in Belize (folheto)2019 brochure: license fees, authorized agents (including the Placencia Tourism Center), species designated for sport fishing, including snook, and good catch-and-release practices