south andros — deep creek and west side national park
Creeks and flats of South Andros with access to West Side National Park, one of the largest marine parks in the western Atlantic. Large bonefish.
South Andros is the southern part of the Bahamas' largest island, cut by creeks and bights linking the east and west coasts. From the east coast, between Deep Creek and Little Creek, boats enter the creeks and reach shallow, wind-sheltered flats, with bonefish of 4 to 6 pounds. Channels cross the island to the West Side, a deserted shoreline where big fish roam alone or in pairs in very shallow water. There lies West Side National Park, created in 2002 and expanded in 2012, with about 1.5 million acres (around 600,000 hectares) of flats, mangroves and creeks, a nursery for bonefish and tarpon. Permit and barracuda show up on the flats. On the east side, the Tongue of the Ocean has deep blue water close to shore.
best season
Bonefish all year. March and April are usually the strongest months, and autumn is good too. June to November is hurricane season.
Local rules: Personal flats license (2017 Regulations) for anyone 12 or older, issued by the Department of Marine Resources or island administrators; bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and cobia are catch and release only, on hook and line. West Side National Park is managed by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), whose 2022 parks regulations ban fishing in parks without authorization and name the West Side's sensitive zones; in fishing zones, parrotfish, sharks, rays and octopus are restricted, and speargun use is banned. Fish with a guide who knows the zoning. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Flights from Nassau (Western Air) and Fort Lauderdale (Watermakers) to Congo Town, on South Andros. From the airport to the lodges between Deep Creek and Little Creek, about 25 minutes by car.
- facilities
- Bonefish lodges with all-inclusive packages, such as Bair's Lodge between Deep Creek and Little Creek, and local guides. The West Side has no facilities or rangers: it is reached only by boat.
- country
- South Andros, Bahamas
tip
On the West Side the fish are big and wary: approach slowly and cast far. Release the bonefish without taking it out of the water, and never hold it by the mouth.
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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 the Bahamas
A boat not owned by a Bahamian needs a sport fishing permit, obtained at Customs at the port of entry on arrival, before any fishing. Those fishing from the beach, the pier or aboard a Bahamian boat, such as local charters, don't need it. To fish the flats (bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and cobia), every person aged 12 or older needs a personal angler licence; for non-citizens and non-residents, the 2017 regulations set B$15 per day, B$20 per week, B$30 per month and B$60 per year (the Bahamian dollar is worth the same as the US dollar). The Fisheries Act, 2020 was published to replace the 1977 law on which these regulations are based: confirm amounts and rules with the Department of Marine Resources.
- Marlin, sailfish and swordfish must be released alive, except in authorized tournaments. Sharks have been protected since 2011: every shark hooked must be released.
- Onboard limit for foreign sport fishing boats, per boat and not per person: 18 pelagic fish in total (mahi-mahi, wahoo, mackerel and tuna), 60 pounds or up to 20 bottom fish, such as red snapper and grouper (whichever is less), 10 lobsters during the season and 6 queen conchs. Visitors may not sell the catch.
- In the flats, bonefish, permit, snook, cobia and tarpon may only be caught and released, with hook and/or bait; except for fish kept for food, no one may have more than one specimen in possession at the same time (Flats Fishing Regulations, 2017, reg. 9). Commercial fishing in the flats is prohibited.
- Fishing with scuba gear and speargun is prohibited. Hand spears only with written authorization on the permit, never within 1 nautical mile of the coast of New Providence and southern Grand Bahama, nor within 200 yards of the coast of the other islands.
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 Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) (Flats Fishing) Regulations, 2017 — texto publicado no bahamas.com (Ministério do Turismo)Personal license required from age 12; catch and release for bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and cobia; fishing with hook and line only
- official Bahamas National Trust — West Side National ParkCreated in 2002 and expanded in 2012; about 1.5 million acres; nursery for bonefish and tarpon; no facilities or rangers, boat access only
- official Bahamas National Trust — Bahamas National Trust (Preservation of National Parks) Bylaws 2022Art. 8: fishing in parks only with authorization; art. 24: West Side sensitive zones and restricted species in fishing zones; art. 13: speargun banned
- market Bair's Lodge — Fishing in South AndrosDeep and Little Creeks, over 120 square miles of flats, bonefish of 4 to 6 pounds; West Side about 45 minutes by skiff