San Juan del Sur Fishing Charter: Species, Seasons and Rules

In this guide

A San Juan del Sur fishing charter targets sailfish, blue marlin, mahi mahi, tuna and roosterfish. Captain Experiences rates sailfish best from February to April, mahi mahi from April to September and blue marlin from May to October. Billfish must be released alive under Nicaraguan rules. Monkeys Travels & Tours runs a private trip of 4 to 5 hours, from US$85 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$170 solo.

San Juan del Sur is a fishing port as well as a beach town, as Visit Centroamerica notes. This guide covers what bites when, what the law says about keeping fish, and how prices compare. The town itself is on our San Juan del Sur page.

What you can catch and when

Captain Experiences publishes a month-by-month rating for San Juan del Sur, from "great" to "not ideal". The table below summarizes it.

Species	Great	Good	Not ideal
Sailfish	February to April	May to August, November to January	September, October
Blue marlin	May to October	March, April, November	December to February
Mahi mahi (dorado)	April to September	October to March	none
Skipjack tuna	June to October	April, May, November, December	January to March
African pompano	June to August	the rest of the year	none
Broomtail and red grouper	May to August	the rest of the year	none

Two patterns stand out. Sailfish peak in the dry months and fade in September and October. Blue marlin is strongest in the rainy season, from May to October, and mahi mahi from April to September. If you can fish only one month and want variety, April and May overlap good sailfish, mahi and marlin ratings.

Roosterfish

Roosterfish do not appear on the Captain Experiences calendar, but they are a signature catch here. FishingBooker lists 7 fishing charters in San Juan del Sur, five of which name roosterfish as a target, and describes the fish at 20 to 40 pounds with excellent game quality and low food value, and names light tackle, popping, fly fishing and trolling as the methods. The fish lives inshore and nearshore. The only charter on that page that states catch and release for roosterfish is based in Aposentillo, in the north, not in San Juan del Sur; the 2026 San Juan del Sur tournament had a separate roosterfish category.

Yellowfin tuna

Yellowfin tuna is one of the target species on the Monkeys trip and appears among the scored fish of the 2026 tournament, alongside dorado and wahoo. We did not find a published month-by-month rating for yellowfin in San Juan del Sur, so we do not give one.

Nicaragua's sport fishing rules

Sport fishing in Nicaragua is governed by Law 489, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law (La Gaceta 251, December 27, 2004), and its regulation, Decree 9-2005 (La Gaceta 40, February 25, 2005). A 2008 reform of that regulation assigns control duties to INPESCA, the Nicaraguan Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute. What the 2005 regulation says, in short:

Billfish are reserved for sport fishing. Article 89 lists sailfish, swordfish and black, blue and striped marlin as species for sport fishing, and article 68 bars artisanal fishing from taking them.
Release is the rule. Article 90 says fish caught in sport fishing must be returned to the water alive, with as little harm as possible, where they were caught.
Limited catch for eating. The same article allows up to 3 fish per person and 12 per boat for consumption. Black, blue and striped marlin may be kept only above 200 pounds, with a maximum of 3 per boat. Tarpon and snook are limited to 1 per person and 3 per boat.
A personal permit. Articles 84 and 87 require a personal, non-transferable permit, in daily, weekly or season categories (one month to one year), carried visibly on board. Article 86 allows permits for tourist groups to be arranged through tour operators.
What is banned. Article 94 prohibits selling the catch and using nets, traps, longlines, harpoons or firearms in sport fishing.

These rules come from the 2005 text and its 2008 reform as published. Fees and procedures are set by ministerial resolution and can change, so ask whoever runs your trip whether the permit is covered and get it in writing.

The May tournament

The fifth Game Fish Tournament ran from May 8 to 10, 2026, from the port of San Juan del Sur. Its organizers describe it as strictly catch and release, fished under IGFA rules, with billfish, roosterfish and "funfish" (dorado, yellowfin tuna and wahoo) categories. The tournament website says INPESCA issued a collective license covering registered anglers, while its FAQ also tells anglers to apply for permits at INPESCA two weeks ahead; confirm with the organizers if you plan to enter.

Price comparison, as of November 3, 2026

Charter prices on FishingBooker are for the whole boat. Monkeys prices are per person and depend on the group size.

Operator (listing)	Trip	Published price
By The Sea, Fish and Surf	half day	US$350 per boat
Ocean Surf and Sport Fishing Charters	half day inshore	US$400 per boat
TLALOC Fishing Charter	4 hours	US$590 per boat
Hog Tide Fishing & Ocean Excursions	full day, 34-foot boat	US$690 per boat
Jossi Tours	full day	US$714 per boat
Monkeys Travels & Tours	4 to 5 hours, private	from US$85 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$170 solo

Monkeys prices by group size:

Group	Price per person
1 person	US$170
2 or 3	US$120
4 to 6	US$85
7 to 10	US$75
11 to 15	US$65
16 or more	quoted

For a group of 4, the Monkeys price comes to US$340. Third-party prices change; check each listing before you book.

What the Monkeys trip includes

The Sport Fishing Pacific Coast trip is a half day of deep-sea fishing, 4 to 5 hours, targeting marlin, roosterfish, yellowfin tuna and dorado.

Included: a fully equipped fishing boat, fishing gear and bait, a captain, soft drinks and water, and cleaning of any fish you keep within the legal limits.
Not included: meals, alcoholic drinks, tips for the captain and travel insurance.

Hotel transport is not on the inclusions list. Tell us where you are staying and we confirm the arrangement in writing with the price.

Plan the rest of the day

A morning on the water leaves the afternoon free. The Pacific Sunset Cruise lasts 2 hours, from US$40 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$65 solo, with welcome drinks, music and water; transport to and from the hotel is not included. If the group wants a beach day instead, our guide to San Juan del Sur beaches compares them, and the Cristo de la Misericordia guide explains the viewpoint above the bay. For the weather side of the calendar, see the best time to visit Nicaragua.

What Monkeys does

Monkeys Travels & Tours is a private tour operator based in Rivas, founded in 2018 by Everth Palma, who was born and raised in Rivas.

The trip is private. Your group only, never combined with other travelers.
A captain on the boat; bilingual guides born in Rivas and a private vehicle on land tours.
Daytime departures.
WhatsApp at +505 8506 1173, every day from 7:00 to 20:00, with answers in under an hour.
Written confirmation of price and inclusions. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure.

To book, send your date, number of anglers and hotel on WhatsApp.

Questions we get every week

When is sailfish season in San Juan del Sur?

Captain Experiences rates sailfish as great from February to April and good from May to August and in November, December and January. September and October are the weakest months. Blue marlin follows the opposite pattern, rated great from May to October, and mahi mahi is rated great from April to September.

Can I keep the fish I catch in Nicaragua?

Billfish, such as sailfish and marlin, are reserved for sport fishing, and the 2005 regulation of Law 489 says fish caught in sport fishing must go back alive. It allows a limited catch for eating: up to 3 fish per person and 12 per boat, and marlin only above 200 pounds. Ask the captain before the trip; the Monkeys boat includes fish cleaning if you keep a legal catch.

How much does a fishing charter in San Juan del Sur cost?

As of November 3, 2026, FishingBooker listed half-day and 4-hour charters from San Juan del Sur at US$350 to US$590 for the boat and full days at US$690 to US$714. Monkeys charges per person: from US$85 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$170 solo, for a trip of 4 to 5 hours.

Do I need a fishing license in Nicaragua?

The regulation of Law 489 requires a personal sport fishing permit, valid for a day, a week or a season of up to a year, and lets tour operators handle permits for groups. Ask whoever runs your trip whether the permit is covered and get it in writing; for the 2026 tournament the organizers said INPESCA issued one collective license.

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages, checked on the date shown above.