san juan — lagoons and club náutico
Tarpon in the middle of the city, in the San Juan lagoons, and blue marlin offshore just a few kilometers from the Club Náutico.
San Juan combines two very different fisheries. In the Condado, San José and Torrecilla lagoons, and in the channels that link them to the sea, tarpon live all year, including large fish, caught on fly, plugs and live bait, often with high-rises in the background. Snook share the same channels. Beyond the bay, the shelf is close and trolling targets blue marlin, mahi-mahi, wahoo and yellowfin tuna. The Club Náutico de San Juan, on the bay, is the base of offshore fishing and hosts a traditional international billfish tournament. There are lagoon guides and charter boats.
best season
Tarpon are in the lagoons all year. Blue marlin peak from late summer into fall, August to October; mahi-mahi and wahoo also deliver in winter.
Local rules: Tarpon and bonefish are catch and release only in Puerto Rico, and transporting them is prohibited (DRNA Regulation 7949, art. 18.10). Minimum size for billfish: blue marlin 99 inches (251 cm), white marlin 66 inches, sailfish 63 inches. The regulation requires a recreational fishing license from the DRNA, but charter boat clients are exempt when fishing with the owner or the owner's employee: confirm with the DRNA whether an individual license is already required. Beyond 9 nautical miles, federal rules apply. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, next to Laguna San José. The Club Náutico is in Miramar, near Old San Juan.
- facilities
- Marinas, charter offshore fishing boats, lagoon guides, hotels and all the infrastructure of a capital city.
- country
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
tip
Tarpon in the lagoons feed mostly at night and at tide changes: fish early or late in the afternoon, in channels with current.
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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 Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rico Fishing Regulation (Regulation 7949, 2010, from the DRNA) requires a recreational fishing license, for sea or inland water, for anyone aged 13 or older. The text sets fees for foreign visitors of US$7 per day, US$10 for 7 days and US$50 per year, but left the license start date to a public notice from the DRNA: confirm with the DRNA whether it is already required. Charter boat customers do not need a license while fishing with the boat owner or their employee; for species that require a permit, the owner buys a 1-day one for each customer.
- Tarpon and bonefish: catch and release only; it is prohibited to fish for and transport these fish (Regulation 7949, art. 18.10).
- Minimum size for billfish in recreational fishing: blue marlin 99 inches (251 cm), white marlin 66 inches (168 cm), sailfish 63 inches (160 cm), measured from the lower jaw to the fork (art. 18.8).
- In recreational fishing only rod and baitcasting or spinning reel, or line and hook (with few exceptions), are allowed; selling fish is prohibited; and the mahi-mahi limit is 10 per angler or 30 per boat per day (art. 18).
- Beyond 9 miles from the coast begin US federal waters, with their own federal rules.
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 DRNA — Reglamento de Pesca de Puerto Rico 2010 (Reglamento 7949)Text of the DRNA regulation published by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council; art. 16 to 18
- official Caribbean Fishery Management Council — RegulationsFederal waters beyond 9 nautical miles