tampico — pánuco river and chairel lagoon
The Pánuco mouth and the Tamesí lagoons, on the border between Tamaulipas and Veracruz. Snook in the river, tarpon passing through, and black bass in the lagoons.
Tampico sits on the north bank of the Pánuco River, near its mouth on the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by delta lagoons. The Champayán–Tamesí River system, with Chairel and La Escondida lagoons, has its own fishing rule, NOM-033-SAG/PESC-2014, which lists tarpon, snook, jacks and mullet there, alongside the introduced black bass and tilapia. The same rule records the decline of the system's catch: from 5,000 to 6,000 tons a year in the 1980s to under 500 after 1992. The Carta Nacional Pesquera places the mouths of the Pánuco and Tamesí among the areas for white snook, black snook (Centropomus poeyi) and fat snook. Tarpon still pass through: a tarpon tagged in Texas in 2009 shed its transmitter off Tampico.
best season
Outside the federal snook closed season, May 15 to June 30. From fall to spring, with cooler water, it is the most sought-after season for snook in the river and the lagoons.
Local rules: Federal closed season for white and black snook, May 15 to June 30, from the Soto la Marina bar to the Chachalacas bar (DOF notice of March 16, 1994): the notice closes commercial fishing, and NOM-017 requires sport fishing to respect the closures. In the lagoons and the Tamesí (NOM-033-SAG/PESC-2014): up to 5 a day, between black bass over 350 mm and snook over 500 mm, egg-bearing females released, and boat fishing only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fishing from a boat requires a Conapesca permit. Confirm local rules.
- getting there
- Tampico International Airport. Boats leave from the Pánuco banks; the Champayán–Tamesí lagoons lie west and northwest of the city, in the municipalities of Tampico, Altamira and González.
- facilities
- Port city with hotels and sport fishing outfitters on the river and the lagoons; under NOM-033, service boats must carry an oxygenated live well.
- country
- Tamaulipas, Mexico
tip
For snook, work the vegetated banks and the pilings at the tide changes, early in the morning. Use a heavy fluorocarbon leader: snook gill plates cut line.
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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-033-SAG/PESC-2014, pesca responsable en el Sistema Lagunar Champayán y Río Tamesí, incluyendo las lagunas Chairel y La Escondida (23/12/2014)System species (tarpon, snook, black bass); production decline since 1992; sport fishing for black bass and snook, bag limit of 5 (black bass over 350 mm, snook over 500 mm), live well on board, and boat fishing from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- official DOF — Aviso de épocas y zonas de veda para la pesca de diferentes especies de la fauna acuática (16/03/1994)Item XX: closed season for white and black snook, May 15 to June 30, from the Soto la Marina bar to the Chachalacas bar; point four bans commercial fishing during the closure
- official DOF — Actualización de la Carta Nacional Pesquera (26/07/2022), ficha Robalo del Golfo de MéxicoPánuco and Tamesí mouths among the snook fishing areas; closed season in force; catch above maximum sustainable yield
- scientific Universidade de Miami e Bonefish & Tarpon Trust — Atlantic Tarpon Satellite PAT-Tagging: 2009 Summary ReportTarpon T-125, tagged at Port O'Connor (Texas) on September 20, 2009; the tag shed off Tampico on November 29, 2009