Best Fishing Spots in Puerto Rico (Saltwater & Freshwater)

Puerto Rico is one of the most underrated fishing destinations in the world. While great fishing can be found throughout Puerto Rico, knowing where the best fishing locations are can deliver you world-class fishing and adventure.

The best saltwater fishing spots in Puerto Rico are off the coast of San Juan, Rincon, and Fajardo year-round. For freshwater, your best fishing spots in Puerto Rico are going to be Guajataca, La Plata, Dos Bocas, and Carraizo for peacock bass and other gamefish.

This island archipelago is home to several world-record-holding fish and no wonder, as the deepest water in the entire Atlantic Ocean is only 75 miles from the capital of Puerto Rico, San Jaun. If you are planning a fishing trip in Puerto Rico, you’ll need to know what the best fishing spots in Puerto Rico are.

In this article, we are going to break down the best spots to fish in Puerto Rico, as well as the best spots to catch some of the most popular fish in Puerto Rico. 

Best Fishing Locations in Puerto Rico

No matter where you go on the island, the fishing in Puerto Rico is phenomenal. While each location has its separate attractions for anglers and different water types, you are sure to find a fishing destination that matches your needs and skill set. Here is a breakdown of the best fishing locations in Puerto Rico. 

Fajardo

The rich waters around Fajardo make it the best fishing destination in Puerto Rico. Located on the eastern edge of the island, only 36 miles from the island’s capital San Juan, Fajardo’s waters are fed by two main ocean currents, the Caribbean and North Equatorial.

These currents push warmer water into the waters off Fajardo, making the fishing in Fajardo excellent all year round. 

Because of the deep waters of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic, both easily accessible from Fajardo combined with the flats and lagoons off the beaches, the variety of fish here is unlike any other place in Puerto Rico.

When inshore fishing in Fajardo you can expect to land tarpon, snook, and the infamous bonefish. If you venture out to the reefs around Fajardo you can land some monster groupers, snappers, and even a kingfish or two. The best season to try your hand in the shallower inshore waters of Fajardo is from September to May.

Offshore fishing, though, is the pride and joy of fishing in Fajardo. The ocean currents hitting the waters off Fajardo create what has been dubbed “Marlin Alley,” which is home to the world’s best blue marlin and white marlin, along with sailfish and spearfish.

The peak season to deep-sea fish in Fajardo is June to September for the marlin and November to May for mahi mahi, wahoo, and billfish. 

Fishing charters are the way to go when fishing in Fajardo. And with so much to offer to close to shore, even a half-day trip would be enough to land a dream catch even for a novice angler. 

Rincon

Across the island from Fajardo is another beautiful fishing town with world-class angling opportunities. Ricon sits on the westernmost tip of Puerto Rico, 92 miles from San Juan.

While it doesn’t have the incredibly deep waters of the Atlantic by its shores, there are still some deep waters close by, making for some great deep sea fishing in Puerto Rico.

If fly fishing in flats and bays is more of your thing, the inshore waters of Ricon are home to the likes of tarpon, snook, and ladyfish.

Also, if you go inland to some of the many interior lakes near Ricon you’ll find the rare peacock bass which, though it’s a rare find around the world these lakes hold large amounts of peacock bass all year round. 

The Puerto Rican Trench is just miles from Ricon where there are waters as deep as 15,000 feet. Here an experienced angler, or a novice with an experienced guide, has the chance to land world-record marlin during the summer and mahi mahi, tuna, wahoo, and billfish all year round.

The peak season to deep-sea fish in Ricon is the summer for the marlin and fall to winter for many of the other species. 

Bottom fishing is also a popular way to fish near the shores of Ricon. The shallower waters near the coast are home to grouper and snapper.

Plus, the bottom fishing charters in Ricon offer the unique experience of snorkeling during your trip, allowing you to cool off and get a once-in-a-lifetime experience in these Caribbean waters. 

For a complete breakdown of the best times and seasons to fish in Puerto Rico, please check out this helpful article I wrote.

Recommended Fishing Guides/Charters in Puerto Rico

These Puerto Rico-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a great service. The captains are knowledgeable and professional 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
Blue Water Fishing Puerto Rico	Carolina, Puerto Rico
Backwater Tarpon Fishing PR	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Caribbean Fishing Academy Charters & Tours	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Go Tarpon Puerto Rico	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tight Lines Fishing Puerto Rico	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Double Hook Charters	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Konklma Fishing Charters	Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Curate Fishing Charters	Humacao, Puerto Rico
Bayside Fishing Charters	San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Drop Fishing Charters	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bayside Fishing Charters 2	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Castillo Tours – 48′ The Legend	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Adventures Tourmarine	Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Reel Bless Fishing Charters PR	Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Best Puerto Rican Locations per Species

With the waters around Puerto Rico teeming with a variety of sportfish species, you are sure to find the particular species you want to target in Puerto Rico.

That being said, there are certain places in Puerto Rico where each species likes to hang out. In this section we are going to break down the best locations to fish for many of the popular fish species in Puerto Rico and what the best season to fish Puerto Rico is. 

Tarpon

The tarpon in Puerto Rico can weigh anywhere between 20 pounds to 150 pounds. Because of their sheer size, the tarpon in Puerto Rico are some of the most sought-after species in the entire world. The best location to fish tarpon in Puerto Rico is in the lagoons of San Juan.

As these waters hold baitfish all year round, the silver king seldom migrates out. And should storms or other conditions push them to deeper waters, they often return in just a few days. 

The best season to fish tarpon in Puerto Rico is between the months of October and May. As most tarpon fishing is done by sight, you’ll want to be sure to bring a pair of polarized glasses with you on your trip and be prepared for a fight unlike any you’ve ever had with a fish before.

Billfish

Puerto Rico is said to be in the top 7 places in the world for billfish fishing. The reason is due to how close the island is to some of the deepest waters in the world. Where you go to billfish in Puerto Rico will be determined mostly by which billfish you want to go after.

Blue Marlin can be found all around Puerto Rico, but the best location to fish for Marlin in Puerto Rico is Fajardo. This is where “Marlin Alley” is located, a convergence of two large ocean current systems making prime waters for the famous fish. The best season to catch a marlin in Puerto Rico is from June to October.

If sailfish is what you are after, you’ll likely want to go to the other side of the island near Cabo Rojo. Here you can expect multiple hookups a day; be sure to find an experienced boat crew who can help run down and battle the sailfish. The best season to fish sailfish in Puerto Rico is between September and March.

Wahoo

The Wahoo is the reason many anglers come to fish in Puerto Rico in the first place. They average 30-40 pounds in the waters on the south side of the island while the north side near San Juan tends to have on 10 pounders, on average.

The south side of the island is best for fishing Wahoo in Puerto Rico as the availability of baitfish is greater. The best season to fish Wahoo in Puerto Rico is from October to December. 

Without a doubt, the best location for wahoo in Puerto Rico is going to be near Vieques on the south side. And, if you’re wanting to land a monster wahoo, the offshore seamounts are only about 30 miles away.

Wahoo love small ballyhoo, so using a live ballyhoo on the end of a heavy lead, around 100-pound leaders are best. 

Grouper

Groupers in Puerto Rico love the shallow waters of the north coast. Many species of grouper call these waters home as they are calm and clear. This is also why these waters are so good for grouper fishing in Puerto Rico as you can drift your bait on the bottom without much current interfering. 

You’ll find grouper mainly on the bottom, along reefs and edges of deep drop-offs. The best location to fish grouper in Puerto Rico is Rincon on the northwestern edge of the island.

The best season for grouper fishing in Puerto Rico is between the months of December and March when the waters are at the calmest. Groupers tend to go for live bait better than they do artificial, so be sure to stock up before heading out. 

Snook

Snook are often caught hand in hand with bonefish and tarpon when fishing the flats and backcountry waters of Puerto Rico. In fact, you are more likely to catch a snook over a bonefish or tarpon as they as less skittish and will jump at anything that moves in front of them.

They are a great-tasting fish, as well, and put up a decent fight. Plus, they will go for light tackle as well as flies, opening up a whole new realm of possibilities. 

The flats and marches of San Juan are the best locations to fish snook in Puerto Rico, though you can find them in droves throughout the islands.

The best season to snook fish in Puerto Rico is from February to April. The key is to go on a sunny, clear day when the waters are crystal clear; be sure to have a great pair of polarized sunglasses as well!

Permit

One of the often-overlooked species of fish in Puerto Rico is the permit fish. As Puerto Rico is considered more of a deep-sea fishing location, the pressure on fish in the backcountry waters is low, meaning they’ll bit on just about anything you throw at them.

Like other backcountry and flats-loving fish, be sure to go with the water levels are deep enough for them to swim in and the water is clear. 

The best season to fish for permit in Puerto Rico is December to May with them peaking in February and March. Besides the flats of San Juan, Torrecillas is the best location to permit fish in Puerto Rico, as they love the marshes on the northern coast. 

Tuna

Tuna are a staple of many fishing locations in the Caribbean with Puerto Rico being no exception. They love the warm, constantly moving waters around the island and can be caught almost all year round.

The most common species of tuna in Puerto Rica are blackfin and skipjack, though the occasional Yellowfin can be caught. 

Tuna on the south side of the island tend to grow larger than those on the north as the access to baitfish is greater; plus, they love the deep waters of the Atlantic. The best season to catch tuna in Puerto Rice is from October to March for blackfin and skipjack while yellowfin tuna peaks in June.

The best location for fishing tuna in Puerto Rico is going to be Fajardo, as it gives access to the deepest waters. When fishing for tuna in Puerto Rico, look for large whale sharks as tuna often school around the beast of a shark. 

Mahi Mahi

Mahi Mahi are a staple in the sportfishing world of Puerto Rico. Their flat heads make them an iconic, one-of-a-kind fish while their fight once hooked is unmatched. In the deep waters of Puerto Rico, they rule the roost. 

Mahi Mahi have two runs through Puerto Rico, one on the north and one on the south coasts. If you are wanting to fish the north coast, the best place to fish mahi mahi in Puerto Rico will be in San Juan.

The best season for mahi mahi in Puerto Rico on the north side is from November to December. The mahi mahi, though, will be smaller than what you will find in the south. 

If you are going to the south coast, the best location for mahi mahi is Ponce. The best season for fishing mahi mahi on the south coast of Puerto Rico is from February to April.

On the south side, the fish can get as big as 40 to 50 pounds. Know, though, that mahi mahi fishing on the south side does require a full-day charter fishing trip. 

I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic to create your combo.

Best seasons for Puerto Rican Fishing

If you are wanting the most action and likelihood of a successful fishing trip, the best season to fish Puerto Rico is during the fall and winter months. Its closeness to the equator keeps the water temperatures near perfect all year round, though the summer often brings storms and rough waters.

Additionally, many fish are migrating from the cooler waters of the north during this time and head to the warmer, deeper waters around Puerto Rico.

Best Freshwater Fishing Spots in Puerto Rico

Big, deep-sea fishing isn’t the only fishing to be had in Puerto Rico. Largely unknown is the vast amount of freshwater lakes on the island. These are all man-made lakes made by damning up the many rivers on the island. Here we break down the best locations and what you can expect to find. 

Carraizo

Carraizo is a reservoir located roughly 45 minutes from San Juan. It’s a great lake to catch peacock bass all year round. 

Dos Bocas

Located only an hour away from San Juan, Dos Cocas damn and lake are located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. It’s a great place to vacation in Puerto Rico as it not only holds several freshwater species but is close to many tourist attractions as well.

Guajataca

Guajataca lake is a 1.3 square mile lake created in 1929. It is 1 and ½ hours away from the city of San Juan. Boy Scouts of America has a campground here called Camp Guajataca.

Also, not only will you find peacock and largemouth bass in abundance, but also catfish, perch, tilapia, and plenty of shad for bait.

La Plata

La Plata is in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, only 35 minutes from San Juan. Many love La Plata for its fishing, as well as the recreational activities available, making it a perfect location for a family trip.

Puerto Rico Fishing Compared to Other Nearby Islands

Puerto Rico has become a favorite among the Caribbean islands, especially among US anglers, as no passport is required when traveling here. However, the work the department of natural resources for Puerto Rico has put into expanding and promoting its fisheries have made it a great place to fish.

You’ll find many experienced charters in almost any shore city on the island, making Puerto Rico the favorite among Caribbean islands in terms of fishing adventures.

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Dominica, please check out this helpful guide.