río dulce and lake izabal — izabal
The river linking Lake Izabal to the Caribbean, with a canyon, El Golfete and mangroves. Tarpon and snook in brackish water, by launch.
The Río Dulce flows out of Lake Izabal, Guatemala's largest lake, passes the Castillo de San Felipe and the town of Río Dulce (Fronteras), opens into the brackish El Golfete lagoon, and runs through a canyon with forested walls down to Livingston, on the Bahía de Amatique. The mix of fresh and salt water draws tarpon, which roll on the surface in calm hours, and snook, which stay near the mangroves, at the mouths of tributaries and around rocks. Fishing is done by launch with a local guide, casting artificial lures or fly, and slow trolling along the banks. On the north shore of El Golfete is the Chocón Machacas Biotope, a protected area created for the manatee.
best season
Tarpon and snook all year. From February to May it rains less and the water tends to be clearer. In 2015 the MAGA closed snook and tarpon fishing from September 15 to October 31: check whether there is a closed season this year.
Local rules: The river, El Golfete and the banks make up Río Dulce National Park, under CONAP (Government Agreement 182-93): fishing with nets or trammel nets during the closed season is prohibited, as are hunting and removing fauna, and the Chocón Machacas Biotope is a primitive zone. The General Fisheries Law (Decree 80-2002) applies to inland waters, and sport fishing requires MAGA authorization. MAGA has already set closed seasons for snook, tarpon and other species in Lake Izabal, El Golfete and Río Dulce (in 2015, September 15 to October 31, Ministerial Agreement 154-2015): ask whether there is a closed season this year. Confirm local rules.
- getting there
- From Guatemala City, take CA-9 toward the Caribbean and then CA-13 to the Río Dulce bridge, about half a day's drive. Livingston has no road link: you reach it by boat from Río Dulce or Puerto Barrios.
- facilities
- Marinas, hotels and inns on the riverbank in Río Dulce, hotels in Livingston, and boats with guides and river transport between the two towns.
- country
- Izabal, Guatemala
tip
Look for tarpon early, when the river is glassy and the fish are rolling. Use a heavy leader and a sharp hook, and set hard: a tarpon's mouth is tough.
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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 Guatemala
Under the General Fisheries and Aquaculture Law (Decree 80-2002), sport fishing is authorized by MAGA through a license, after the boat is registered with the naval authority. The license is valid for 10 years and pays an annual fee based on boat length (in the law: Q800 up to 8 m, Q2,400 from 8.01 to 12 m and Q8,000 above 12 m). A foreign-flagged boat needs a fixed-term permit (Q2,000 per tournament, per the law). Those fishing with an operator go out on a licensed boat: confirm with the operator.
- Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) is reserved for sport fishing, and its commercial fishing is prohibited; in sport fishing, only catch and release of live fish back to the sea (Decree 80-2002, art. 28 and art. 80, j).
- In sport fishing for billfish (family Istiophoridae), only circle hooks are allowed (Government Agreement 223-2005, art. 60).
- For large pelagic fish, the regulation authorizes trolling in catch-and-release mode (art. 61). Tournaments must be coordinated with the fisheries authority.
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 Acuerdo Gubernativo 182-93 — Reglamento de zonificación, uso y manejo del Área Protegida Río Dulce (Diario de Centro América, 15/04/1993)Copy on FAOLEX; CONAP administration, zones and prohibitions (art. 5, g: fishing with nets or trammel nets during the closed season)
- official MAGA — Acuerdo Ministerial 154-2015, veda temporal y tallas mínimas en Bahía de Amatique, Río Dulce y Lago de Izabal2015 closed season, September 15 to October 31, for catfish, jacks, snook, snapper, mullet, tarpon, grunts, croakers, sierra and barracuda; no equivalent rule for 2026 has been confirmed
- official MAGA — Decreto 80-2002 (Ley General de Pesca y Acuicultura) e Acuerdo Gubernativo 223-2005 (Reglamento)Sport fishing by license; regulation, arts. 58 and 59: inland species and public inland waters