Best Times & Seasons to Fish in the Maldives (Complete Guide)

The Maldives is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations on earth but it also offers some of the best fishing around. Knowing the best times to fish in the Maldives can make a huge difference in your success levels.

The best time to fish in the Maldives is November through March though great fishing can be found year-round.

The Maldives consists of 1000 islands. The region is well-known for its crystal clear waters, coral islands, white sands, beautiful beaches, and unbeatable fishery. Every year the destination attracts so many travelers, nature lovers, and anglers. The local waters of Maldives are full of fish.

Best Time to Fish in the Maldives

Fishing in the Maldives is possible all year round. The Maldives fishing season in the region peaks between November and March. However, the best time of the year to fish depends a lot on the fish species that you are targeting, and where & how you want to fish in the region. 

Fishing adventures should always begin with meticulous planning. It’s crucial for anglers to pick their main targets ahead of time. In other words, anglers need to decide what fish species they would like to target during the Maldives fishing trip.

After that, you have to find out the best months to fish for the target species in the area. Go fishing during the most productive times. Spring is a good time to target such fish species as barracuda, mahi-mahi, marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo. 

Fishing for such species as mahi-mahi, sailfish, and tuna is good in the Maldives in the late summer. Fishing in the Maldives is getting better in the fall. Anglers can target barracuda, mahi-mahi, marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo during the fall months.   

Recommended Fishing Charters in the Maldives

These Maldives-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.

Recommended Fishing Charters	Location
Black Pearl Fishing	Bodufolhudhoo, Maldives
Skull Fishing Charters	Malé, Maldives
Hilman Sport Fishing	Malé, Maldives
Silent Hunter Sport Fishing	Malé, Maldives
Latti Fishing Group	Malé, Maldives

Maldives Species Breakdown: Best Times

Barracuda

Barracuda fishing is great year-round. So, anglers can catch barracuda at any time of the year. Fishermen should target barracuda near Naifaru.  

Blue Marlin

Blue Marlin fishing in the Maldives starts in the late fall and finishes in the early spring. However, fishermen get the best results between January and February. Guraidhoo is a good place to target blue marlin in the waters of the Maldives.  

Bonefish

The best months to fish for bonefish are January – March. Fulidhoo is one of the best places to target bonefish in the Maldives.   

Bream

Bream is active in the waters of the Maldives year-round. Oftentimes, anglers get bites of bream at night. Fulidhoo is the right place to target bream in the region.   

Grouper

Grouper fishing is possible all year long. However, fishermen get the best results between November and March. Grouper can be found near Naifaru and other places.  

Mahi-mahi

Mahi fishing is good between August and March. However, the peak fishing season is between January and February. It’s a great idea to target mahi-mahi near Male.  

Sailfish

The best months to target sailfish in the Maldives are January – March, and November – December. Go to Guraidhoo if you would like to catch sailfish during the Maldives fishing trip.   

Trevally

Trevally bites well in the waters of the Maldives year-round. Anglers can get a bite of trevally at any time of the day during a fishing trip. Ideally, anglers should go to Male to catch trevally. 

Skipjack Tuna

Skipjack tuna fishing is successful year-round. So, anglers can fish for skipjack tuna at any time of the year. Dharavandhoo is one of the top Maldives skipjack tuna fishing destinations.  

Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin tuna is one of the most popular fish to catch in the Maldives. The season to catch yellowfin tuna is high between October and November and between January and February. Yellowfin tuna bites well at night or early in the evening. Ukulhas is a good place to visit if you want to catch yellowfin tuna during your fishing adventures.   

Wahoo

The best time to fish for wahoo in the Maldives begins in October and finishes in February. Meedhoo is a great place to fish wahoo in the region. 

Maldives Regions: Best Fishing Times 

Male

The fishing season in Male is high between November and March.

Dhiffushi 

The best time to fish on Dhiffushi Island is between December and February. It’s the time of the year when the weather is good and the ideal conditions for fishing are created. 

Fulidhoo

Fishing in Fulidhoo is excellent year-round. However, anglers get the best results in the winter. 

Keyodhoo

The fishing season in Keyodhoo is best between September and October and between December and February. 

Naifaru

Fishing season in Naifaru peaks between the late fall and early spring.   

Best Time of Day to Fish the Maldives

An angler has to decide when to go fishing. The best time of day to fish in the Maldives depends on the fish species that you are targeting. Get ready for fishing adventures in advance and study the feeding habits of your favorite fish species.

Plan your fishing trip to the Maldives with the bite times of your target fish species in mind. Keep in mind that the vast majority of anglers prefer to fish in the Maldives in the morning.

The Maldives Fishing & Tidal Impacts

When getting ready for fishing adventures, anglers have to study Maldives tides carefully as well. It’s crucial for fishermen to know when tides are low and when tides are high in the region. Incoming tides are the best tide times for fishing in the Maldives.

When water comes to the area during the rising tide, it contains a lot of oxygen. As a result, comfortable conditions for fish are created. So, fish begin to search for food and feed actively. That’s why anglers get a lot of bites during the incoming tides.   

Is Winter Fishing Bad in the Maldives?

Winter is a great time to experience fishing in the Maldives. Many fish species get active in the waters of the Maldives between December and February. That’s why fishing is very productive on the islands during the winter months.   

The early winter means great fishing opportunities in the Maldives. So, you’ll never regret visiting the region in December. Now, it’s a peak fishing season and the chance to land a trophy fish is high. It’s possible to fish from shore and experience deep sea fishing in the area this month. Among the fish species that anglers can target in December are marlin, tuna, trevally, and sailfish. 

Big game fishing is very successful in the waters of the Maldives in January. It’s a great time to target marlin in the region. Other popular targets include such species of fish as mahi-mahi, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo. Actually, this list could go on and on.

Fishing is still good in the Maldives in February. Anglers can catch mahi-mahi, marlin, tuna, wahoo, and other fish species during this time of the year.   

Top Fishing Spots in the Maldives 

Male

Male has gained huge popularity among fishermen. The destination is surrounded by reefs and provides anglers with excellent fishing opportunities. It is known as the place where fishing adventures begin.

Male provides fishermen with easy access to other islands. A lot of fish can be found near Male and in its surrounding waters. Here, it’s possible to target such fish species as barracuda, mahi-mahi, trevally, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo. 

Dhiffushi

Dhiffushi is another island that so many anglers choose to visit during their Maldives’ fishing trips. It’s the place where anglers can try inshore fishing, offshore fishing, reef fishing, and big game fishing. Night fishing trips in Dhiffushi are very productive as well. Here, anglers can target amberjack, barracuda, bonefish, and other fish species.    

Fulidhoo

Fulidhoo is the perfect place to enjoy fishing in the Maldives. Here, it’s possible to experience fishing and have a rest. The island impresses with its crystal clear waters and beautiful beaches. Anglers can stay at comfortable guesthouses.

Reef fishing and big game fishing are the most popular fishing techniques on the island. Fishing in Fulidhoo is excellent. The waters around the island are home to such fish species as mahi-mahi, sailfish, trevally, and others.        

Keyodhoo

Keyodhoo Island is a small village that’s famous among commercial anglers. Here, anglers prefer to do reef fishing as well as offshore fishing. Fishing charters, as well as guesthouses, are available for the local anglers on the island at cheap prices. The most popular targets include barracuda, blue marlin as well as mahi-mahi.     

Naifaru 

Naifaru is an island that is good both for fishing and picnic. Naifaru is a good place to visit for families. There are beaches and a lot of activities available on Naifaru. Anglers can fish both in the nearshore and offshore waters of the island.

Such fishing techniques as jigging, popping, and deep-sea fishing work well in the waters of Naifaru. A lot of charters are available for fishermen in Naifaru. Among the top fish species that anglers can catch in Naifaru are barracuda, mahi-mahi, and yellowfin tuna.     

Booking Guides & Charters in the Maldives

– Best season to go 

It’s possible to experience fishing in the Maldives year-round. However, the best season to book a charter starts in November and finishes in March. 

It’s also important to note that the peak tourist season in the Maldives is between December and March. So, a lot of tourists prefer to visit the region during these months. That’s why it would be better to fish the islands either in November or in April. 

Fishing in the region is excellent during these months, but the completion among anglers is much lower. Therefore, the demand for fishing in the region is lower, and more fishing charters are available for anglers. That’s why fishing is more affordable and provides better value for money.      

– Morning vs. afternoon 

A lot of anglers in the Maldives prefer to fish in the morning. Morning fishing in the Maldives is productive during the hot summer months. Fishing during morning hours has great benefits for anglers. Water is calm in the morning and, therefore, the ideal fishing conditions are created. So, anglers find it easy to do fishing. Water cools down and many fish species begin to feed actively in the morning. It’s more comfortable to fish during the morning hours because anglers can avoid the summer heat. 

Early morning is one of the most productive times to fish the Maldives during warm months. On the other hand, it’s recommended to go fishing in the afternoon during the cold months. The water heats up in the afternoon and fishing becomes more productive. However, days are short during cold months. So, anglers don’t have too much time to spend on their hobby if they go fishing in the afternoon.     

– 1/2 day, full-day, multi-day charters 

Half-day fishing trips last 4 – 8 hours. However, such trips give anglers enough time to master fishing skills and get bites. Half-day fishing trips are cheap. However, 1/2 day trips limit the fishing time of an angler.

Full-day fishing trips give anglers more time. If you book a full-day fishing trip, you’ll manage to fish in the morning, afternoon, and evening hours. That means that you’ll have a better chance to land trophy fish during their fishing adventures. On the other hand, full-day fishing trips are more expensive than half-day ones.

Multi-day charters last several days and give anglers even more time. Such fishing trips are the perfect choice for those anglers, who would like to get the most out of the Maldives fishing adventures. However, multi-day charters are the most expensive option.         

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Mauritius, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Syndey, please check out this helpful article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Seychelles, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Fiji, please check out this helpful guide.