Best Times & Seasons to Fish in Puerto Peñasco (Full Guide)
Puerto Peñasco is a great fishing destination that most vacationers don’t even consider. Knowing the best times and seasons to fish these rich waters can lead to even better fishing success than other anglers could dream of.
The best times to fish near Puerto Peñasco is May through October for mahi-mahi, yellowtail, yellowfin tuna, flounder, seabass, and wahoo. Winter is the off-season for most of the best fishing.
Best Time to Fish Puerto Penasco
Fishing in Puerto Penasco is the most productive during the spring and summer months. The best time to fish Puerto Penasco depends on your targeted fish species. First of all, anglers need to decide what species they want to target during a Puerto Penasco fishing trip. After that, they have to study the bite times and try to find out when their favorite species are the most active.
Spring is a great time to target grouper, pompano, seabass, snapper, sunfish, triggerfish, rainbow trout as well as yellowtail amberjack.
Fish is becoming more active during the summer months. Such fish species as grouper, mahi-mahi, flounder, pompano, seabass, snapper, sunfish, triggerfish, rainbow trout, and yellowtail amberjack bite well in summer.
It’s possible to fish Puerto Penasco in the fall as well. Mahi-mahi, flounder, grouper, Spanish mackerel, skipjack tuna, and yellowtail amberjack are active during the fall months.
Recommended Fishing Charters in Puerto Peñasco
These Puerto Peñasco-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 |
| El Jefe Boat Charters | Puerto Peñasco |
| Del Mar Charters – 30′ Grady-White | Puerto Peñasco |
| Eduardo’s Sport Fishing | Puerto Peñasco |
| Catch’m Fishing Charters | Puerto Peñasco |
| Sea Best Fishing Charters | Puerto Peñasco |
| Federico’s Fishing Charters Sirena | Puerto Peñasco |
| Rocky Point Fishing Services | Puerto Peñasco |
| El Gato Especial Fishing | Puerto Peñasco |
| Rock Point Fishing Club | Puerto Peñasco |
| Ecsta-Sea Charters | Puerto Peñasco |
| Federico’s Fishing Charters | Puerto Peñasco |
Puerto Penasco Species Breakdown: Best Times
Grouper
Fishing for grouper is excellent between January and May and between September and December. Grouper bites well in the early morning and late afternoon. The Sea of Cortez is the perfect place to target grouper.
Flounder
A flounder fishing season in Puerto Penasco starts in June and finishes in October. The best months to target flounder in the region are July and September. Flounder can be caught in Cholla Bay.
Mahi-mahi
A mahi-mahi fishing season in Puerto Penasco starts in the late spring and ends in the late fall. Fishing for mahi-mahi is excellent between July and October. Mahi feeds actively during the morning and evening hours. Mahi fishing is excellent near Golfo de Santa Clara.
Sailfish
Summer is a great time of the year to catch sailfish in Puerto Penasco. Sea of Cortez offers excellent opportunities for those anglers, who want to catch sailfish during their fishing adventures.
Sea bass
Sea bass gets active in Puerto Penasco during the summer and fall months. Sea bass feeds actively during the evening hours and at night. Oftentimes, anglers catch sea bass when fishing in Cholla Bay.
Snapper
Snapper fishing in Puerto Penasco is the most productive between January and June. Go fishing in Cholla Bay if you would like to catch snapper during your fishing adventures.
Spanish mackerel
The season to catch Spanish mackerel in Puerto Penasco begins in the late spring and ends in the early fall. Spanish mackerel fishing is the most productive during the summer months. Oftentimes, Spanish mackerel bites well at the first light. Sandy Beach “Pier” is the ideal place to fish for Spanish mackerel in the region.
Triggerfish
The season to catch triggerfish in Puerto Penasco starts in February and finishes in September. Fishing for triggerfish is best between April and July. Triggerfish can be found in the Sea of Cortez.
White seabass
White seabass fishing season in Puerto Penasco starts in January and ends in July. Anglers, who choose to target white seabass in the region, get the best results between February and July.
Yellowtail amberjack
Yellowtail amberjack fishing season is high between the early winter and the early summer. Anglers have a good chance to catch yellowtail amberjack in the Sea of Cortez.
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.
Puerto Penasco Regions: Best Fishing Times
De Marua
Fishing in De Marua is best between April and July.
Golfo de Santa Clara
The best season to fish Golfo de Santa Clara is May – July.
Loreto
Fishing in Loreto is the most productive between the early summer and the early fall.
San Felipe
The best time of the year to fish San Felipe is between the early winter and the early spring.
Best Time of Day to Fish in Puerto Penasco
The best time of day to fish Puerto Penasco depends a lot on what species you are going to target during your fishing adventures. Every fishing trip begins with planning.
Anglers need to study the bite times of their favorite fish species carefully in advance. Go fishing when your targeted fish species are the most active to get the best possible results.
Anglers should also plan their fishing trips with the season of the year in mind. Go fishing in the morning during the summer months. However, it would be better to fish Puerto Penasco in the afternoon during the cold months.
Puerto Penasco Fishing & Tidal Impacts
Tides have an impact on Puerto Penasco fishing. When preparing for Puerto Penasco fishing adventures, anglers need to study the tide times. It’s crucial for fishermen to find out what time is high tide time and what time is low tide in the region. It would be better to go fishing during the rising tides. Many species get active and fishing is becoming more productive in the region during the incoming tides.
Is Winter Fishing Bad in Puerto Penasco?
As we have already said, anglers can experience fishing in Puerto Penasco at any time of the year. However, winter fishing in the region is less productive due to the cold weather.
The region impresses with its abundance of fish. Winter is a great time to fish for the species which are active all year-round as well as the species that get active during the cold months. Anglers can target such species as grouper, pompano, snapper, seabass, sunfish, triggerfish as well as yellowtail amberjack in the region during the winter months.
Top 5-10 Fishing Spots in Puerto Penasco
Cholla Bay
Cholla Bay is the perfect place for anglers, who would like to experience shore fishing in Puerto Penasco. It’s possible to fish on La Choya’s beach. Fishing near reefs is also very productive. Among the fish species that fishermen can target in Cholla Bay are leopard grouper, yellowtail, mackerel, sea bass, flounder, and red snapper.
Sandy Beach “Pier”
Sandy Beach “Pier” is another popular fishing spot in the region. A lot of anglers choose to fish from this pier. The pier is located near La Choya. It’s the place where anglers can target many fish species such as black drum, catfish, cobia, trout, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead as well as redfish.
Old Port
Many anglers prefer to visit Old Port during their fishing adventures in Puerto Penasco. This fishing port gives anglers an opportunity to fish in crystal blue waters and get a memorable experience. It’s a good place to target mackerel, groupers, mackerel, snappers, triggerfish, yellowtail amberjack, and other species.
Sea of Cortez
The Sea of Cortez is full of fish. It’s a great idea to book a charter to experience fishing in the deep waters of the sea. The top targeted species in the sea include mahi-mahi, marlin, red snapper, whitefish, halibut as well as gold spotted bass and black sea bass.
Las Conchas
Las Conchas is a beach that’s located in the eastern part of the downtown. The beach has gained huge popularity among anglers. It’s a good place for anglers, who are planning family fishing adventures in Puerto Penasco. When fishing in the Las Conchas area, anglers can catch bass, mahi-mahi, spotted sorubim, and many other species.
Booking Guides & Charters in Puerto Penasco
– Best season to go
A fishing season in Puerto Penasco starts in the early spring and ends in the late summer. The best months to fish Puerto Penasco are June and July. Traditionally, a lot of tourists choose to visit the region in April, July, and August. The demand for fishing is high and charters are busy. So, you shouldn’t visit the region during these months if you want to avoid crowds.
Instead, it would be better to go fishing in Puerto Penasco in March, May, June, September, and October. A lower number of tourists visit the region during these months, but fishing is still good. However, the prices of fishing charters and hotels are cheaper during these months.
-Morning vs. afternoon
Morning fishing. Morning fishing is suitable for early risers. It’s a great idea to go fishing in the morning during the summer months. Those anglers, who fish during morning hours, can avoid the summer heat. It’s also important to note that morning fishing is very productive in summer.
Water cools down and that’s why fish begin to search for food in the morning. Anglers should also go fishing early in the morning if they would like to fish from piers such as Pelican Point and Old Port. These piers are usually very busy and that’s why fishermen need to wake up early to get their spots.
On the other hand, morning fishing is not the right choice if you don’t like to wake up early. Also, fish may not bite well in the morning during the colder months.
Afternoon fishing. Those anglers, who don’t like to wake up early in the morning, should go fishing in the afternoon. Fishing in the afternoon is good during the colder months. The water heats up and the activity of fish increases in the afternoon.
On the other hand, afternoon fishing is not very productive during the summer months. The weather is hot, water temperatures rise and fish go to deep waters in the afternoon in summer. It’s not comfortable to fish during afternoon hours due to the summer heat in Puerto Penasco. Also, you shouldn’t go fishing in the afternoon if you are going to visit popular fishing spots. All fishing spots can be busy during afternoon hours.
-1/2 day, full-day, multi-day charters
Half-day fishing trips. The so-called 1/2 day fishing trips are good for beginners, who are mastering the basic fishing skills. You should also book a half-day fishing trip if you are going to fish in inshore waters.
However, such fishing trips last a few hours only. So, the angler’s chance to catch a trophy fish decreases during 1/2 day trips.
Full-day fishing trips. Full-day trips are a good option for experienced fishermen. Full-day fishing trips last longer and provide anglers with much better fishing opportunities. Such fishing trips provide anglers with more time. Anglers have a greater chance to land trophy fish during full-day trips. It would be great to book a full-day trip if you are planning to fish in offshore waters.
However, full-day fishing trips are more expensive than half-day ones. So, such trips are not suitable for anglers on a budget.
Multi-day charters. Multi-day charters are the perfect choice for professional anglers, who want to spend several days fishing. Anglers have an opportunity to explore more fishing spots and catch more fish during multi-day fishing trips.
However, multi-day charters are more expensive than full-day trips. So, not every angler can afford to book such a trip.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Mexico, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Playa del Carmen, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Baja, please check out this helpful guide.
