Best Times & Seasons to Fish Mazatlán (Complete Guide)

The waters around Mazatlán offer some of the best fishing in North America. Knowing the best and worst times to come fish Mazatlán will make a huge difference in your success and experience.

The best time to fish around Mazatlán is May through November for marlin, sailfish, jack crevalle, mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, and yellow grouper. This season delivers the best combination of fish abundance and aggressive feeding activity.

Fish Species	Best Seasons to Fish near Mazatlán
Black Marlin	Year-round availability; May through November are the best months.
Blue Marlin	Year-round availability; marlin fishing is best from April through November.
Striped Marlin	Year-round availability; peak striped marlin season is May through November.
Pacific Sailfish	Year-round availability; peak sailfish season is May through November.
Yellowfin Tuna	Year-round availability; peak tuna season is May through November.
Mahi Mahi	Year-round availability; peak mahi season is May through November.
Pacific Jack Crevalle	Year-round availability; fishing is best from April through November.
Yellow Grouper	Year-round availability; fishing is best from April through November.

Mazatlán is located on the west coast of Mexico, just outside the Gulf of California. This beautiful area has plenty of things to do to keep you busy while you visit, and fishing is one of them. The fishing in the area is known to be great, with an emphasis on offshore fishing.

Because it is so close to the Gulf of California, Mazatlán sees a lot of fish migrating through its waters in the spring as the water warms up in the northern parts of the bay.

In Mazatlán, you can find plenty of inshore fish as well, while species are more limited compared to some areas, the species that are there are in large numbers.

While most of the fishing is done in the ocean, there are lots of different saltwater lakes, marinas, and inlets that are available for fishing as well. No matter where in Mazatlán you go, you can be certain that you will be able to find fish.

Best Time to Fish Mazatlán

If you’re looking to catch a ton of fish and aren’t targeting a specific species, fishing in the fall is a great option.

Most species in Mazatlán are very active during this time, aside from sailfish and striped marlin. This means whether you’re going offshore, inshore, or fishing in the lakes, there will be plenty of fish to catch.

This time is so good because fish from the Gulf of California will be going south, following warm water. They will go right through the waters of Mazatlán and stay there until the water sees a small drop in temperatures. After that happens, there will still be fish in the area, but they will be more scattered than normal.

Recommended Fishing Charters in Mazatlan

These Mazatlan-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
Pepe’s Fleet – 28′ Sport Panga	Mazatlán, Mexico
Star Fleet Sport Fishing – Stella	Mazatlán, Mexico
Pepe’s Fleet – 28′ Panga	Mazatlán, Mexico
Bibi Fleet – 40’ Paty C	Mazatlán, Mexico
Escualo Fleet – Blue Marlin 36’	Mazatlán, Mexico
Aqua Sports – 28′ Super Panga	Mazatlán, Mexico

Species of Mazatlán (Best Times)

Marlin

Known as the marlin and sailfish capital of the world, Mazatlán has great marlin fishing. There are three different species of marlin in Mazatlán, striped, black, and blue marlin. For striped marlin, the best months to fish are from November through May.

As for black and blue marlin, the best months are from June through December. Marlin aren’t too picky on the time of day, but if there was one time better than the rest, the morning would be it.

Marlin feed on a few different types of baitfish, mainly long, silvery minnows. The most common way to fish for them is by trolling the baitfish or an imitation bait slowly behind your boat. Trolling speeds should be kept low to keep the baitfish alive. 

Marlin are found in offshore waters, mainly in open water with lots of current. They like the current because it acts as a natural highway for all species of fish, including baitfish. They can be found in deep waters, usually around one to two hundred feet. 

Sailfish

Sailfish are most commonly caught from April through December, with the best months being May and June. The fishing is so good during this time because as the water warms up, they start to travel further north, into the Gulf of California.

While traveling there, they go right through the waters of Mazatlán. As with marlin, sailfish can be found at all times of the day, with the best time being in the morning.

Sailfish are similar to marlin in more ways than one, their diet included. They mainly feed on baitfish, in the same way that marlin do.

Long, silvery baitfish are the most commonly used bait for them and the most common way to catch them is to slowly troll the bait as well.

Sailfish are found in open, deep water and usually stick to deep-water currents. This can make it somewhat hard to find groups of them, but fishing between reefs is usually a solid option.

Dorado (Mahi-Mahi)

Dorado are a beautiful fish that can be found year-round, with the best months being from April through August.

Dorado like to move north into the Gulf of California as the water warms up, which means that they will pass through the waters of Mazatlán as they go north and as they go back south.

The best time of day to fish for them is in the morning because the sun isn’t nearly as harsh as it is during the afternoon.

Dorado are known for being meat eaters, mainly targeting sardines and small baitfish. Some larger dorado will target larger baitfish, but dorado have small mouths, sometimes making it difficult to feed on those fish.

Dorado are mainly caught by trolling either spoons or crankbaits, or anything that is flashy and that imitates a baitfish.

Dorado are mainly found offshore, in open water. They migrate quite a few times throughout the year, which makes Mazatlán a hot spot for them.

They live in water anywhere from 100 to 300 feet of water. They can sometimes be found near reefs, but are mainly found in deep-water currents between Mazatlán and the tip of Baja California.

Snook

Snook are a common fish found in tropical waters and have no closed season. The best time to fish for snook is in the late winter and early spring, from January through May.

They are more active during these times with the cooler water temps and lack of predators in the area. As for the time of day, they are most active in the morning, before the sun hits its peak.

Snook mainly feed on baitfish, including pinfish and grunts, but are also known to feed on shrimp as well. The most common way to fish for them is by attaching your bait to a rig with a weight about a foot above the bait.

This gives the bait plenty of slack line to move around and be livelier. If you want to use artificial bait, flashy spoons and crankbaits are good options that can cover plenty of water in a short period of time.

Snook are inshore fish, commonly found in channels, inlets, and marinas. You can find them under and around docks, weed lines, and deep spots with the areas where you are fishing. 

Jack Crevalle

Jack crevalle are available year-round in Mazatlán, with their peak season being from January through May. They like to be in the shade during the afternoon and are generally more active during the morning when the sun is low.

Jack Crevalle can grow to be very big, and they will feed on bigger baitfish when they get to that size. They mainly feed on mullet but will feed on any baitfish that comes across their path.

You can catch jack crevalle by retrieving your bait relatively fast. Jacks will feed on natural and artificial bait. Some popular artificial bait are topwater poppers, crankbaits, and spoons.

Juvenile jacks are found in nearshore waters, while the larger adults are mainly found in deeper water, around reefs and wrecks.

Inshore spots include flats, grassy areas, and anywhere with some structure. Spots like this can be found all along the coast of Mazatlán and around the shores of the islands that are off the coast of Mazatlán.

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.

For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Huatulco, please check out this helpful article.

Best Time of Day to Fish Mazatlán

The best time of day to fish Mazatlán depends on the season that you are fishing. In every season other than winter, the morning is going to be your best option, but fish can be caught all day long.

This is because the water will be a little cooler and the sun won’t be nearly as harsh as it would be during the afternoon.

In the winter, the fishing is consistent all day long on most days. Early morning is a good time to fish during the winter, but in the day, the sun will heat the water, making most fish more active. 

Tidal Impacts on Mazatlán Fishing

Tides will always have an impact on ocean fishing, making it a good idea to be prepared for what tides are going to be present while you’re fishing. The best tide to fish is high tide. This is because there is more water for the fish to swim in when talking about inshore waters.

If you manage to be fishing during high tide, the water should stabilize enough for your bait to stay on the bottom much easier, which is beneficial for both offshore and inshore fishing.

The times on either side of high tide are also good, this is because the moving water will bring in clean water and more baitfish for the fish to feed on.

Affect of Rain and Tropical Storms on Fishing in Mazatlán

Being a coastal city near the equator, Mazatlán will see plenty of storms throughout the year. The storm season in Mazatlán runs from July through September and can be anything from light rain to hurricanes.

You should always check the weather before going fishing as bad storms can not only be bad for fishing but be dangerous as well.

Storms will add pressure to the air and make fish less active, usually, it will take the fish a day or two to return to normal. The high winds from a storm can make fishing extremely hard but can be beneficial if you find the right spots.

Baitfish will drift with the wind, usually up into a bay, which can attract different predators as well. No matter what, make sure to be safe while you are out on the water because no fish is worth capsizing your boat.

Night Fishing in Mazatlán

There are a few options for night fishing in Mazatlán. Offshore fishing at night is gaining popularity as there is less traffic on the water and it sometimes outproduces day fishing.

Inshore and shore fishing can also be good for the same reasons, but also because more fish move into shallower fishing during nighttime. The most targeted fish at night include snook, marlin, and dorado, but you can catch almost any species at night.

Shore & Surf Fishing in Mazatlán

Mazatlán has some great shore and surf fishing all across the city. From fishing in marinas and inlets to surf fishing from one of the many beaches, you’ll be sure to find some fish.

If you are surf fishing, rigging a shrimp or baitfish with some weight and letting it drift along the bottom is a great way to catch a variety of species.

If you are fishing in marinas or inlets, using moving baits is a great way to cover a lot of water. Some of the most sought out species in these spots are snook and jack crevalle, but if you are surf fishing, you can expect to catch more of a mixed bag.

For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Ensenada, please read this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Puerto Vallarta, please read this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Baja, please read this helpful article I wrote.

For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish the Sea of Cortez, please read this helpful article I wrote.

For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Cancun, please read this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Rosarito, please read this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish La Paz, please read this helpful article I wrote.

Best Fishing Spots in Mazatlán

-Surf/Shore Fishing

Estero La Escopama

Estero La Escopama is a large lake located north of Mazatlán. This lake mainly offers triggerfish and jack crevalle. The lake is connected to the ocean, dumping into the emerald bay. You can fish along the shoreline in quite a few areas.

The main reason why the lake is so good is because of how many little bays and inlets are in the lake. This gives the fish plenty of structure to hang around.

Another reason is the constant flow of baitfish into the lake. Seeing that the lake is connected to Emerald Bay, there are tons of baitfish that swim into the lake for protection from the weather or from predators in the bay’s deeper water.

El Cid Marina Beach

This beach is located on the edge of Marina Mazatlán and offers great snook and jack crevalle fishing. There are areas within the marina where you can not fish, but on the beaches, fishing is great.

There are a few different spots scattered through the marina, but this spot is one of the most productive as it is located near the mouth of the marina.

-Inshore

Isla de Venados

This island is located just off the coast of Mazatlán and is on the outside of a small bay surrounded by beaches. One of the most popular ways to fish inshore spots near Mazatlán is to bottom fish. You can use fresh or artificial bait rigged with either weights or a jig.

Some of the species here include grouper, red snapper, and snook. The back of the island has a small bay and can be a very good spot for inshore species. Fishing near the island can be productive, but the whole bay will hold fish as well.

Isla de Pajaros

Located just north of Isla de Venados, this island offers a similar fishing experience but may hold more fish during the morning as the water is a bit shallower in this area, but not too shallow to the point the fish won’t want to be there.

This spot can be very good in the spring when snook are moving into shallower water before it warms up too much, but the area also offers great open-water fishing as well.

Emerald Bay

Emerald Bay is located north of Mazatlán and holds plenty of inshore species of fish, with the occasional offshore species passing through the area as well.

In this bay, the main targets will be snook, snapper, grouper, and amberjack. Permit fishing in this area is also a very popular species in this area.

This spot is usually very good in the spring but offers good fishing year-round. A popular way to fish the bay is to rig a crab or shrimp on a jig or with a small weight and fish the bottom.

-Offshore

Offshore fishing is one of the most popular ways to fish in Mazatlán. Offshore fishing offers the biggest fish in the area and you can catch a wider variety of species. Some of the species you can find offshore include marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado, and barracuda.

If you are planning on going offshore, your charter will take care of the bait, tackle, and finding spots, giving you a relaxing day on the water.

Best Seasons to Book a Charter

The best season to book a charter mainly depends on what species you will be targeting and how busy the charters will be. In Mazatlán, the busy seasons are during the summer and winter.

If you’re looking to avoid crowds and not sacrifice the quality of fishing, spring and fall are good options for you. In the spring, you can find bonita, striped marlin, dorado, and a few other species.

In the fall, you can expect to catch black and blue marlin, dorado, tuna, jack crevalle, and bonita. If you book early enough, there isn’t a bad time to fish Mazatlán, and even if you do find yourself booking a trip during the busy seasons, there are plenty of fish to go around.

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Mexico, please check out this helpful article.