Best Times & Seasons to Catch Roosterfish in Costa Rica

Roosterfish are one of the most unique and popular gamefish in Costa Rica although they are only found along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Knowing the best times, seasons, and tides to fish for these roosterfish can make a huge difference.

The best time to fish for roosterfish in Costa Rica is from December through April although they are readily available year-round on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Season	Fishing Quality for Roosterfish in Costa Rica
Spring	Best fishing season; roosterfish move shallow in mornings & later afternoons.
Summer	Very good fishing; roosterfish use the high tide to push into shallow waters.
Fall	Fishing slow season; roosterfish greatly impacted by tropical storm season.
Winter	Great fishing; roosters will be in shallow flats and offshore reefs.

Best Time to Fish for Roosterfish in Costa Rica

The peak season for roosterfish runs from December through April, but roosterfish are available year-round in Costa Rica. Since Costa Rica is so close to the equator, the water will stay warm year-round, making it unnecessary for them to migrate during the winter, the only time they will change locations is in the summer.

Roosterfish will move to deeper water to avoid the hot water that is near shore. In the winter and early spring, roosterfish will be in shallow, inshore water, making sight fishing for them a popular method to catch them.

Seasonal Guide: Costa Rican Roosterfish

Spring

During the spring, you will have trouble finding bad conditions for roosterfish. They will be available all day long, and active for most of the day as well.

The water is still relatively cool and the only things that could make conditions bad would be heavy rain or wind. With that being said, roosterfish will still be active but may move deeper when the sun is at its highest, so you should try to get out on the water early in the morning or in the evening.

As for tides, you’ll want to aim for high tide. Even though roosterfish like to be in shallow water, high tide will make it much easier for them to feed.

Summer

Fishing is still excellent in the summer, but roosterfish may move a bit deeper than normal, especially during the afternoon. When targeting roosterfish in the summer, you’ll want to focus on fishing during the morning and evening, to avoid the high sun.

As for tides, high tide is again the best tide to fish. High tide allows for the fish to feed closer to shore, near cover, and gives the fish a constant supply of baitfish being pushed closer to shore by the added current. High tide will also bring in cleaner, more oxygenated water, making fish more energized and active.

Fall 

In the fall, the water temperature starts to drop a little bit, making roosterfish move into some deeper water. This can actually be helpful, this makes it so that the fish will be much more active during the afternoon when the sun is the warmest.

Something to pay special attention to in the fall is the weather. The bulk of the tropical storm season is in the fall, so make sure that you are staying safe on the water and avoiding any big storms.

As for tides, high tide is again the best tide, but since the fish are going to be in deeper water, you don’t necessarily have to fish during high tide to have great fishing. 

Winter

Winter is one of the best seasons to fish for roosterfish. In the winter, the fish are adjusted to the cooler water temperatures and start to move back into shallower flats. They can still be found at offshore reefs and deeper inshore waters, but flats are always going to be a good option.

Since Costa Rica is so close to the equator, they don’t see a huge drop in the amount of sunlight like the states do, but the sun does move further away, making it even cooler, so fishing in the afternoon is a good option.

As for tides, high tide is your best option, but low tide is still fishable. During low tide, you can find more fish in deeper water, which can sometimes make fishing easier because they will be near structures, making them easier to find.

Recommended Fishing Guides/Charters in Costa Rica

These Costa Rica-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
Sea Breeze Fishing & Adventures	Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Snook Sportfishing	Herradura, Costa Rica
Jackpot Sport Fishing	Quepos, Costa Rica
Bucket List Sportfishing	Quepos, Costa Rica
Soleil Sport Fishing	Quepos, Costa Rica
Capullo Sportfishing/Rainbow Runner	Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Luminare Sport Fishing	Herradura, Costa Rica
Fishing Lake Arenal	La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Sport Fishing El Gato III	Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica
Allin Sportfishing – 28’ Mako	Jacó, Costa Rica
Pacific Boat Rentals – Mad Marlin	Herradura, Costa Rica
35′ Cabo Express – Tamarindo Beach	Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Capullo Sportfishing	Tamarindo, Costa Rica

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 if you want to create your combo.

Best Tidal Conditions for Costa Rica Roosterfish

The best time to fish for roosterfish in Costa Rica is during the morning. More fish will be in the flats area roaming around for food, making it much easier to locate the fish. As for tides, the one that stands out the most, year-round, is high tide.

There will be cleaner water with more oxygen, higher currents to bring baitfish in shallow, and more cover available during high tide as the water moves closer to shore.

Best & Worst Months for Each Part of Costa Rica

It should be noted roosterfish only exist on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica but this section is about general fishing in Costa Rica. The quality of fishing stays consistent throughout both coasts of Costa Rica. Both sides of Costa Rica have great fishing year-round, with an emphasis on winter and early spring.

In both areas, you can find roosterfish in the shallow flats and even sometimes on offshore reefs as well. The worst time of year for both coasts is in early fall, the water will start to cool down, making the fish inactive until they adjust to the cooler temperatures.

Roosterfish will travel in schools, and there will be times, even during their peak season, that they will be hard to find. It’s best to realize that there is a good chance of getting one but to be realistic with your expectations.

Night fishing for Roosterfish in Costa Rica

Night fishing is not necessarily a popular way to catch roosterfish, but it can be done. Seeing that roosterfish are a shallow-water species, fishing for them at night is about the same as fishing for them during the day.

When fishing at night, make sure that you have plenty of light, and are on public land that is open at night. While fishing at night, your best options for bait are live or cut bait.

This will make it much easier for the fish to find your bait, giving you a much better chance of catching one. Another good option is a topwater popper. Poppers make a lot of noise, and roosterfish have great hearing.

Impacts of Storms & Hurricanes

Tropical storms can have a huge impact on the quality of your fishing trip. They can send heavy rain and winds into your area, with the main storm being 50 miles down the coast.

If you find yourself in that situation, try to find a flat that has cover from the wind and you should be able to find tons of fish schooled up. If you are in a location that is expected to be hit directly by a tropical storm, it’s best to wait out the storm.

Tropical storms are very powerful and can easily capsize a boat, so it’s smart to stay indoors until it passes. During the times before and after the storm, fishing is possible, but the winds will usually be too high for an enjoyable day on the water. 

Booking a Charter for Roosterfish

When booking a charter for roosterfish in Costa Rica, you’ll obviously want to keep your budget and timing in consideration, but there are certain times that have both great fishing and availability and are better to book during than other times.

The winter and spring will both be relatively busy, but the summer will be much more open since most tourists like to escape the cold, so they will travel during the winter. When booking during the summer, you will find that there will be much more availability and great fishing, but the heat can be an issue for some.

The next best time would be late fall. Late fall isn’t as busy as the winter, but the temperatures are still relatively cool. When booking your charter, you will usually be offered three different options, half-day in the morning, half-day in the afternoon, or a full day.

A full-day trip will give you the best opportunity to catch fish but can be more expensive. When booking a half trip in the fall or winter, the afternoon may be the better option, but this depends more on what tide it is rather than a specific time.

You should try to aim for high tide. As for booking a half-day trip in the spring or summer, booking in the morning will be your best option. This is when the sun will be at its lowest, making it much more comfortable for both you and the fish.

The best season overall to book a charter for roosterfish in Costa Rica would be in the winter or early spring. This is when the fishing is the best, but there may be limited availability. This means that you should book your trip as soon as possible.

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Costa Rica, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Panama, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to catch sailfish in Costa Rica, check out this article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to catch marlin in Costa Rica, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to catch roosterfish in Costa Rica, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to catch mahi-mahi in Costa Rica, check out this guide.