Best Times & Seasons to Fish in Indonesia (Complete Guide)

Indonesia offers fantastic fishing opportunities. Knowing the best times and seasons to fish near Indonesia helps anglers in planning their fishing trips.

The best times to fish in Indonesia are from September to November for barracuda, mahi-mahi, goliath grouper, blue marlin, black marlin, rainbow runner, sailfish, snapper, Spanish mackerel, trevally, tuna, and wahoo.

Indonesia is one of the most popular fishing destinations in the world. Anglers can go fishing in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Best Time to Fish in Indonesia

I spoke with a fishing charter captain operating out of Bali and his favorite time to fish is from May through December. According to his local water expertise, the fish are most active in this window with the greatest variety and concentrations being from June through October.

Fishing in Indonesia is good from January to February and from May to December. Fall is the best time of the year to go fishing in the local waters. The vast majority of fish species are active in the waters near Indonesia during the fall months.

Indonesia Species Breakdown: Best Times

Barracuda

Barracuda fishing in Indonesia is great year-round. The best times of the year to catch barracuda in the local waters are from January to February and from July to December. Barracuda feed actively early in the morning and late in the evening. Barracuda is one of the top fish species that anglers can catch in Karangasem.

Black Marlin

Black marlin fishing in Indonesia is best in October – November. Black marlin bite well in the evening and at night. It makes a lot of sense to target black marlin in the waters near Bali.

Blue Marlin

Blue marlin fishing in Indonesia is very productive from March to April and from July to December. The best months to catch blue marlin in the region are September and November. Blue marlin are active in the morning and in the evening. Denpasar is one of the top blue marlin fishing destinations in Indonesia.

Goliath Grouper

Goliath grouper is active in the waters near Indonesia year-round. Fishing for goliath grouper is best from January to February and from September to November. Goliath grouper bite well early in the morning and late in the evening. Badung is one of the best fishing spots to catch goliath grouper.

Mahi Mahi

The mahi mahi fishing season in Indonesia starts in March and ends in December. The best time of the year to fish for mahi mahi in the region is from July to October. Mahi mahi is active during the morning and evening hours. Nusa Dua is the perfect place to target mahi mahi.

Snapper

Snapper fishing in Indonesia is best in October – November. Snapper bite well at dawn and at dusk. Komira is the ideal location to catch snapper in Indonesian waters.

Sailfish

The best time of the year to catch sailfish in Indonesia is November – December. Sailfish feed actively early in the morning. Sailfish can be found in the waters near Karangasem.

Spanish Mackerel

The peak Spanish mackerel fishing season starts in the late spring and ends in the early fall. Spanish mackerel is most active at dawn and at dusk. Spanish mackerel can be found in the waters of Bone Bay.

Trevally

The trevally fishing season in Indonesia starts in June and ends in November. Fall is the best time of the year to catch trevally in the local waters. Trevally can be targeted either early in the morning or late in the evening. It’s possible to catch trevally in waters near Kaimana.

Wahoo

The best months to catch wahoo in Indonesia are January and September – December. Oftentimes, wahoo bite well at first light. It’s a great idea to target wahoo near Serangan.

Recommended Fishing Charters in Indonesia

These Indonesia-based charters are some of the best at putting you on great fishing action. 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
Bali Fishing Trips	Denpasar, Indonesia
Sailing and Fishing Candidasa	Karangasem, Indonesia
Manu Dreampoint Fishing Charters	Klungkung Regency, Indonesia
Nusa Dua Fishing	Tanjung Benoa, Indonesia
Spearfishing with My Darling Boat	Denpasar, Indonesia

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 Time of Day to Fish in Indonesia

Indonesia is well-known for its tropical climate. It’s usually hot in the region in the middle of the day. So, it can be hard to fish in Indonesia during afternoon hours.

However, it makes a lot of sense to go fishing early in the morning. It’s not hot during the morning hours. Water cools down and many fish species begin to feed actively.

Tides have an impact on fishing. Water movement increases the activity of fish. Fishing in Indonesia is best during the rising and falling tides.

On the other hand, fishing in the region is less productive when tides are highest and when tides are lowest.

Many anglers choose to book overnight fishing trips in Indonesia. Night fishing allows anglers to avoid heat. It would be great to fish in the region at night in the fall. It’s the time of the year when days are hot, but fishing in Indonesia is very productive.

Among fish species that anglers can target in the local waters during night hours are black marlin, grouper, sailfish, and tuna. It’s also important to note that anglers can target the fish species that feed actively in the early morning and in the late evening during overnight trips.

Storms & Indonesia Fishing

Indonesia is the region where storms and rainstorms occur regularly in January – March and in November – December. Storms and rainstorms have a negative impact on fishing and pose the danger to anglers. Fishing trips are canceled due to storms.

So, always check the Indonesia weather forecast before booking a fishing trip. It would be better to avoid fishing in the region during these months. Anglers should aim to go fishing from April to October when the season is dry.

Best Seasons to Book an Indonesian Charter

Now, we’ll tell you what anglers can catch in the local waters during spring, summer, fall, and winter months.

Spring

Fishing in Indonesia is less productive in spring. The weather is getting warmer and water temperatures begin to rise in Indonesia during the spring months. Anglers can target Spanish mackerel, dogtooth tuna, and skipjack tuna in the late spring.

Summer

More fish species are active in Indonesian waters in summer. Anglers can target barracuda, mahi mahi, Spanish mackerel, dogtooth tuna, rainbow runner, dogtooth tuna, skipjack tuna, and yellowfin tuna in the local waters during the summer months.

Fall

Fall marks the beginning of the peak fishing season in Indonesia. The weather is good and anglers find it comfortable to fish in the region in the fall. Barracuda, mahi mahi, grouper, blue marlin, black marlin, rainbow runner, snapper, Spanish mackerel, trevally, tuna, wahoo, and many other species of fish are here in abundance during the fall months.

Winter

Winter fishing is good in Indonesia. Among fish species that anglers can catch in the local waters during the winter months are barracuda, grouper, rainbow runner, sailfish, trevally, and wahoo.

Top 5 Fishing Spots in Indonesia

Denpasar

Fishing in Denpasar is best from January to May and from October to December. The main targets in Denpasar are barracuda, mahi mahi, and red snapper.

Kaimana

Kaimana is one of the top Indonesian fishing destinations. Fishing in the region is diverse. Here, anglers can do river fishing. The peak fishing season in Kaimana is October – November. The main targets in Kaimana include bonefish, trevally, and tarpon.

Karangasem

Karangasem is one of the best places to go fishing in Indonesia’s waters. Here, anglers can go fishing in nearshore, inshore, and offshore waters. Fishing in Karangasem is best during the fall, winter, and spring months. It’s possible to target barracuda, mahi mahi, sailfish, and many other species in the waters near Karangasem.

North Maluku

North Maluku is another popular fishing destination in Indonesia’s waters. North Maluku offers incredible offshore fishing. Fishing in the region is best in October – November. The top fish species in North Maluku are barracuda, mahi mahi, and king mackerel.

West Papua

West Papua is located in the eastern part of Indonesia. Fishing in the region is good year-round. West Papua is home to such species as blue marlin, black marlin, mahi mahi, sailfish, trevally, different types of tuna and wahoo.

Shore/Surf Fishing: Best Times & Seasons

Anglers don’t necessarily need to book a charter to enjoy fishing in Indonesia’s waters. It’s possible to fish from shore in the region. Shore fishing in Indonesia is more productive during the fall months.

There are many spots where anglers can fish from shore. Anglers can do surf fishing on cliffs, beaches, and piers. Among the most popular fishing piers in Indonesia are Fishing boat pier Labuan Bajo, Heartson pier, Dermaga Tradisional Pongkar, Jeti timur, Feed the fish pier, Jeti mincing, Pediwang jetty, Indonesia alor, Jeti atas, Jetty Akelamo, Lek Jo Fishing Village, Viola Santos Pier, and others.

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Bali, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Phuket, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Indonesia, check out this article. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Guam, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Bora Bora, please check out this helpful article. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in French Polynesia. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Japan.