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Catch Me under way in open water off Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta fishing calendar

What is biting off Puerto Vallarta, month by month — and how many hours on the water each one actually takes.

The year at a glance

Two seasons overlap here. The blue-water run peaks from September to December, when black and blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, sailfish and mahi-mahi are all on at once — the best months of the year to be offshore. Winter and early spring belong to the inshore fishing: jack crevalle, amberjack, snapper and sierra, none of which needs a long run. Something is always biting; the question is how far out it is.

Species by month in Banderas Bay, grouped by where they are caught
FishJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BillfishOffshore banks — 8 hours and up
SailfishPez velaBestJan: Best, 5 of 5BetterFeb: Better, 4 of 5FairMar: Fair, 2 of 5FairApr: Fair, 2 of 5GoodMay: Good, 3 of 5GoodJun: Good, 3 of 5GoodJul: Good, 3 of 5BestAug: Best, 5 of 5BestSep: Best, 5 of 5BestOct: Best, 5 of 5BestNov: Best, 5 of 5BestDec: Best, 5 of 5
Black marlinMarlín negroBetterJan: Better, 4 of 5GoodFeb: Good, 3 of 5LowMar: Low, 1 of 5LowApr: Low, 1 of 5FairMay: Fair, 2 of 5FairJun: Fair, 2 of 5GoodJul: Good, 3 of 5BetterAug: Better, 4 of 5BestSep: Best, 5 of 5BestOct: Best, 5 of 5BestNov: Best, 5 of 5GoodDec: Good, 3 of 5
Blue marlinMarlín azulGoodJan: Good, 3 of 5GoodFeb: Good, 3 of 5LowMar: Low, 1 of 5LowApr: Low, 1 of 5FairMay: Fair, 2 of 5FairJun: Fair, 2 of 5GoodJul: Good, 3 of 5GoodAug: Good, 3 of 5BetterSep: Better, 4 of 5BestOct: Best, 5 of 5BestNov: Best, 5 of 5BestDec: Best, 5 of 5
Striped marlinMarlín rayadoFairJan: Fair, 2 of 5LowFeb: Low, 1 of 5LowMar: Low, 1 of 5LowApr: Low, 1 of 5LowMay: Low, 1 of 5FairJun: Fair, 2 of 5FairJul: Fair, 2 of 5FairAug: Fair, 2 of 5GoodSep: Good, 3 of 5GoodOct: Good, 3 of 5GoodNov: Good, 3 of 5FairDec: Fair, 2 of 5
BluewaterOuter bay to offshore — 6 hours and up
Mahi-mahiDoradoBestJan: Best, 5 of 5BestFeb: Best, 5 of 5BetterMar: Better, 4 of 5BetterApr: Better, 4 of 5FairMay: Fair, 2 of 5FairJun: Fair, 2 of 5FairJul: Fair, 2 of 5GoodAug: Good, 3 of 5BestSep: Best, 5 of 5BestOct: Best, 5 of 5BestNov: Best, 5 of 5BestDec: Best, 5 of 5
Yellowfin tunaAtún aleta amarillaLowJan: Low, 1 of 5LowFeb: Low, 1 of 5LowMar: Low, 1 of 5LowApr: Low, 1 of 5FairMay: Fair, 2 of 5GoodJun: Good, 3 of 5BetterJul: Better, 4 of 5BestAug: Best, 5 of 5BestSep: Best, 5 of 5BestOct: Best, 5 of 5BetterNov: Better, 4 of 5FairDec: Fair, 2 of 5
WahooPetoLowJan: Low, 1 of 5LowFeb: Low, 1 of 5LowMar: Low, 1 of 5LowApr: Low, 1 of 5LowMay: Low, 1 of 5FairJun: Fair, 2 of 5FairJul: Fair, 2 of 5GoodAug: Good, 3 of 5GoodSep: Good, 3 of 5GoodOct: Good, 3 of 5FairNov: Fair, 2 of 5LowDec: Low, 1 of 5
InshoreInside the bay — 4 hours is enough
AmberjackJurelFairJan: Fair, 2 of 5FairFeb: Fair, 2 of 5GoodMar: Good, 3 of 5BetterApr: Better, 4 of 5BestMay: Best, 5 of 5BetterJun: Better, 4 of 5FairJul: Fair, 2 of 5LowAug: Low, 1 of 5LowSep: Low, 1 of 5LowOct: Low, 1 of 5LowNov: Low, 1 of 5FairDec: Fair, 2 of 5
Jack crevalleToroBetterJan: Better, 4 of 5BestFeb: Best, 5 of 5BestMar: Best, 5 of 5BestApr: Best, 5 of 5BetterMay: Better, 4 of 5FairJun: Fair, 2 of 5FairJul: Fair, 2 of 5FairAug: Fair, 2 of 5FairSep: Fair, 2 of 5FairOct: Fair, 2 of 5LowNov: Low, 1 of 5LowDec: Low, 1 of 5
RoosterfishPapagayoGoodJan: Good, 3 of 5GoodFeb: Good, 3 of 5GoodMar: Good, 3 of 5GoodApr: Good, 3 of 5GoodMay: Good, 3 of 5GoodJun: Good, 3 of 5GoodJul: Good, 3 of 5BetterAug: Better, 4 of 5GoodSep: Good, 3 of 5GoodOct: Good, 3 of 5GoodNov: Good, 3 of 5FairDec: Fair, 2 of 5
Red snapperHuachinangoFairJan: Fair, 2 of 5GoodFeb: Good, 3 of 5BetterMar: Better, 4 of 5BestApr: Best, 5 of 5BetterMay: Better, 4 of 5GoodJun: Good, 3 of 5GoodJul: Good, 3 of 5GoodAug: Good, 3 of 5GoodSep: Good, 3 of 5GoodOct: Good, 3 of 5GoodNov: Good, 3 of 5GoodDec: Good, 3 of 5
Cubera snapperPargoLowJan: Low, 1 of 5LowFeb: Low, 1 of 5FairMar: Fair, 2 of 5GoodApr: Good, 3 of 5GoodMay: Good, 3 of 5GoodJun: Good, 3 of 5FairJul: Fair, 2 of 5FairAug: Fair, 2 of 5LowSep: Low, 1 of 5LowOct: Low, 1 of 5LowNov: Low, 1 of 5LowDec: Low, 1 of 5
GrouperCabrillaFairJan: Fair, 2 of 5FairFeb: Fair, 2 of 5FairMar: Fair, 2 of 5FairApr: Fair, 2 of 5GoodMay: Good, 3 of 5BetterJun: Better, 4 of 5BestJul: Best, 5 of 5BetterAug: Better, 4 of 5FairSep: Fair, 2 of 5FairOct: Fair, 2 of 5FairNov: Fair, 2 of 5FairDec: Fair, 2 of 5
Spanish mackerelSierraLowJan: Low, 1 of 5GoodFeb: Good, 3 of 5BetterMar: Better, 4 of 5BetterApr: Better, 4 of 5BetterMay: Better, 4 of 5GoodJun: Good, 3 of 5GoodJul: Good, 3 of 5FairAug: Fair, 2 of 5FairSep: Fair, 2 of 5FairOct: Fair, 2 of 5FairNov: Fair, 2 of 5FairDec: Fair, 2 of 5

Season

BestBetterGoodFairLow

Where

BillfishBluewaterInshore

Runs shift year to year with water temperature and weather. Treat this as the pattern, not a guarantee — and ask the captain what the last two weeks have actually looked like.

Where the fishing is

How far out you go is a question of hours.

The famous grounds off Puerto Vallarta are a long way from the marina. Booking the right number of hours is the difference between fishing a seamount and looking at it from a distance on the way home.

Inside Banderas Bay

From the marina

4 hours

The bay is deep and it fishes. Roosterfish, jacks, sierra, snapper and bonito along the beaches and points, with sailfish and dorado closer in when the water is right. A four-hour charter is a real fishing trip here, not a compromise.

The outer bay and the Marietas

Roughly 20 miles

6–8 hours

Where the bay opens to the Pacific. Sailfish, dorado and tuna, and the first properly blue water. Six hours reaches it comfortably; eight gives you time to fish it rather than look at it.

El Morro

Roughly 28–30 miles

8 hours

A rock that holds bait, and therefore everything that eats bait. The furthest ground that fits inside a standard eight-hour day with time to fish.

Corbeteña — "the Rock"

Roughly 32–35 nautical miles

10–12 hours

The famous one. A seamount that concentrates tuna and marlin, and the reason people fly here in the autumn. It does not fit in eight hours — book the eight-hour charter and add hours, or the day is mostly steaming.

El Banco — "the Bank"

Roughly 45–50 miles

12 hours

Further than Corbeteña and worth it when it is on. A full-day commitment, an early start, and a conversation with the captain about the forecast before you commit.

Actually caught, and when

Not our word for it. These come from reviews left by the people who caught them, on our Tripadvisor listing. Every one lands where the calendar above says it should.

Blue or black marlin2.8 mOctober 2024 · jorge t
Sailfish2.45 mOctober 2024 · Sergio Z
Spanish mackerel, pompano, green runnerA mixed inshore dayApril 2024 · Sam F
Skipjack tunaSeveralOctober 2023 · Wonder Woman D
Jack crevalleFrom the traveller photosJanuary 2023 · Tripadvisor
Spanish mackerelThen out for bigger fish; whales on the way inJanuary 2023 · William R
Month by month

January

Cool

A strong month that nobody expects. Sailfish and mahi-mahi are both at their best, the jacks are coming on inshore, and the water is at its clearest of the year. Whales are in the bay.

February

Coldest

Mahi-mahi still at the top of the scale and jack crevalle at theirs. The coldest water of the year pushes the billfish out and the inshore fishing in. High season on land, so book early.

March

Cool

Inshore month. Jacks, sierra and snapper are all climbing while the offshore goes quiet. Whales here until the season closes on the 23rd.

April

Warming

The best inshore month of the year — red snapper peaks, jacks are still on, sierra is running. Little reason to make the long run out, which makes it the value month for a four-hour charter.

May

Warming

Amberjack peak, and pargo come on around the rocks. The quietest month offshore; the bay is where the fishing is.

June

Warm

The turn. Rains begin, the water warms, and the first of the blue-water fish start showing on the outside while the inshore stays good.

July

Warm

Grouper peak on the bottom and the yellowfin start to arrive. The long days out to Corbeteña begin to be worth the fuel.

August

Hot

Offshore opens properly: yellowfin tuna at their best, sailfish back to the top, black marlin climbing. Roosterfish also peak inshore. Hot, humid, afternoon storms — mornings are the fishing.

September

Hottest

Everything at once. Black marlin, yellowfin, sailfish and mahi-mahi are all at their best in the same month. Also peak hurricane season, so build a spare day into a fishing trip.

October

Hot

The month most captains would pick. Every offshore species on this calendar is at four or five stars, the water is settling after the storms, and the high-season crowds have not arrived.

November

Cooling

Still excellent and easier to travel in than October. Blue and black marlin, sailfish and mahi all holding at the top. The calendar starts filling.

December

Cooling

Blue marlin peak as the blacks taper, and sailfish and mahi stay at their best. Whales back in the bay from the 8th, and a marina full of people. Book well ahead.

What you are fishing for

Sailfish

Pez vela

Outer bay and offshore

The fish Puerto Vallarta is known for. Strong most of the year and strongest either side of the winter, when cooling water brings them closer in.

Black marlin

Marlín negro

Corbeteña and El Banco

Autumn is the season. Three straight months at the top of the scale, and the reason people book twelve-hour days in September and October.

Blue marlin

Marlín azul

Corbeteña and El Banco

Warm water, big fish, long day. Peaks a few weeks later than the blacks and holds into December.

Striped marlin

Marlín rayado

Offshore banks

The quiet one on this coast — present through the autumn, never the headline. A cool-water fish in a bay that runs warm.

Mahi-mahi

Dorado

Outer bay and offshore

Best in winter and again in autumn, with a lull through the late spring. Fast, acrobatic, and the crowd-pleaser on a mixed-ability trip.

Yellowfin tuna

Atún aleta amarilla

Offshore banks

The banks hold genuinely large fish in late summer and autumn. Also the best eating that comes over the rail.

Wahoo

Peto

Offshore structure

Never the target, always welcome. Warm months, usually while trolling for something else.

Amberjack

Jurel

Structure, inshore and out

A spring fish. May is the month; by August they have gone quiet. Heavy, dogged, and they fight straight down.

Jack crevalle

Toro

Inshore

February through April is as good as it gets, and it is all reachable on a four-hour charter. The fish most likely to bend a rod on a short trip.

Roosterfish

Papagayo

Inshore, along the beaches and points

The steadiest fish on the calendar — good every month of the year, best in August. Caught close to shore, and almost always released.

Red snapper

Huachinango

Inshore reef and structure

Peaks in April and holds respectably all year. Bottom fishing, and the best thing you will eat that week.

Cubera snapper

Pargo

Inshore reef and rock

Cubera and dog snapper around the rocks. A late-spring fish, and they get large.

Grouper

Cabrilla

Reef and structure

A summer fish here — July is the month. Slow, heavy bottom fishing for something that does not want to leave the rocks.

Spanish mackerel

Sierra

Inshore

A spring run, and excellent raw. Good light-tackle sport for anyone new to it.

Common questions
What is the best month to fish in Puerto Vallarta?
October. Black and blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, sailfish and mahi-mahi are all at or near their best in the same month, the water is settling after hurricane season, and the high-season crowds have not arrived. September is just as good on the water but carries more weather risk; November is nearly as good and easier to travel in.
When can you catch marlin in Puerto Vallarta?
Autumn. Black marlin peak September through November and blue marlin October through December, both on the offshore banks. Striped marlin are present in the same stretch but never dominant here — this is not a striped marlin coast the way Baja is.
When is sailfish season in Puerto Vallarta?
August through December is the long run, and January is nearly as good. Sailfish are the most consistent billfish in Banderas Bay — only March through May really drops off.
What can I catch on a four-hour charter?
The inshore fishing, which is genuinely good here rather than a consolation. Roosterfish are good every month of the year and best in August; jack crevalle peak February through April; red snapper peak in April; sierra runs March through May. None of it needs a long run.
How many hours do I need to fish Corbeteña?
Ten to twelve. Corbeteña is roughly 32–35 nautical miles from Marina Vallarta, and an eight-hour charter spends most of that day steaming. Book the eight-hour trip and add hours.
What is included on a fishing charter?
Professional fishing equipment is carried aboard Catch Me as standard, along with ice, bottled water and provisions. Mexican sportfishing licences are required for everyone aboard — tell us your group size and we will confirm how that is handled.

Tell us the month. We’ll tell you what to fish for.

Catch Me is a 60ft Mikelson with professional tackle aboard and room for 15 anglers. Four hours fishes the bay; ten to twelve reaches the banks.

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