el salto dam — ing. aurelio benassini vizcaíno
Elota River reservoir in Sinaloa, known for big black bass. Boat fishing with a guide among submerged trees, under a size rule.
The Ing. Aurelio Benassini Vizcaíno Dam, El Salto, impounds the Elota River in the municipality of Elota, Sinaloa. The Carta Nacional Pesquera describes it as a shallow, eutrophic lake in summer, where commercial fishing relies on tilapia and channel catfish, while black bass are left to sport fishing under a catch-and-release system. According to the lodge, the bass here are of Florida lineage, a form some taxonomists treat as a separate species (Micropterus floridanus). Tilapia, managed as food, helps the bass grow. Fishing is by boat, with a guide, among submerged trees, points and channels, using topwater lures, jigs, soft plastics and crankbaits. The lodges are on the shore and offer multi-day packages.
best season
Fishing all year. From late autumn to early spring the water cools and bigger fish come out; in summer, fish early and late in the afternoon.
Local rules: Fishing from a boat requires the Conapesca sport and recreational fishing permit, obtained online. NOM-060-SAG/PESC-2016 sets for El Salto: up to 5 bass per sport angler per day, between 350 and 450 mm total length; bass outside that range go back in the water right away. The lodges work on catch and release. Check local rules.
- getting there
- The airports of Culiacán, to the north, and Mazatlán, to the south, are the gateways. The dam is inland in the municipality of Elota, east of Federal Highway 15 and of La Cruz, the municipal seat.
- facilities
- Fishing lodges on the shore, with bass boats, guides and packages with lodging and meals. Shops and services in La Cruz.
- country
- Sinaloa, Mexico
tip
Bring heavy line and lures that run through the middle of the submerged timber: big bass tangle fast. Photograph and release quickly, holding the fish horizontally.
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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 — NOM-060-SAG/PESC-2016, pesca responsable en cuerpos de aguas continentales dulceacuícolas (19/09/2016)Annex 1, item XXXIII (Aurelio Benassini Vizcaíno 'El Salto' Dam): up to 5 bass per day for the sport angler, 350 to 450 mm; outside the range, immediate release
- official DOF — Actualización de la Carta Nacional Pesquera (21/07/2023), ficha Presa Aurelio Benassini Vizcaíno 'El Salto'Bass in sport and recreational fishing on catch and release; tilapia and channel catfish in commercial fishing; shallow eutrophic lake in summer
- official Conagua — Sistema de Información Hidrológica, catálogo de presasOfficial name, municipality of Elota and coordinates of the station at the dam wall (24.1219; -106.6958)
- market Anglers Inn — Lake El SaltoLodge at the dam; cites Florida-lineage bass, submerged trees and tilapia population management