The waters surrounding Costa Rica, and Quepos, in particular, are incredibly rich, with some of the world’s most popular gamefish. If you’re considering booking a deep-sea fishing charter through Knot Working Fishing Charters, you’ll want to understand which fish you can catch, as well as the peak fishing seasons.
Our seasons and species guide below will introduce you to everything you need to know:
An apex predator of the sea, Costa Rica’s Pacific sailfish love to fly and fight. You can catch them all year, but they are most common from November through May. Sailfish weigh between 90 and 110 pounds. Note that Quepos is one of the world’s best spots for sailfish fishing. All sailfish are catch and release under Costa Rican law, meaning that you need to release them back into the water after snapping a picture of your catch.
True monsters of the deep, yellowfin tuna can weigh up to 200 pounds. These fish can be caught all year long. There’s nothing quite like fresh tuna steaks!
Also called the common Jack, the crevalle Jack is a prey species but can also be a great gamefish and can weigh between five and 30 pounds. They are plentiful all year round.
Faster, stronger, and meaner than your average sailfish, blue and striped marlin are incredible gamefish that can be caught year-round in Costa Rica. They can weigh between 250 and 1,600 pounds and may take up to an hour to reel in. Note that all marlin are catch and release only, under Costa Rican law.
Nothing compares to the flavor of fresh snapper and they’re great for a fight, too. Catch them all year long in Costa Rica’s rich waters.
Broomtail grouper are common within Costa Rica’s inshore waters and can weigh between 30 and 80 pounds. They are most active from November through August.
Also called dolphin fish or mahi-mahi, Dorado can weigh between 25 and 55 pounds. They can be caught all year, but are more common from October through December. Quepos, Costa Rica is one of the most renowned places to catch Dorado.
Inshore gamefish, rooster fish can weigh between 25 and 85 pounds. They can be caught all year long, but are most active between November and May.
Spanish mackerel can be caught all year long and they make for good gamefish, but are also excellent for eating.