Country guide
Costa Rica fishing trips for sailfish, marlin, roosterfish and dorado on the Pacific coast, plus snook on the Caribbean side and freshwater fishing at Lake Arenal. How the seasons run, how to choose a region, and the INCOPESCA license.
Costa Rica's Pacific coast runs from Guanacaste through the Central Pacific marinas at Quepos and Los Sueños to Golfito in the south. Sailfish and marlin are the draw, with roosterfish, dorado, tuna and snapper closer in. December to April is the dry season.
Costa Rica is a small country with two coasts, and that shapes every fishing trip here. The Pacific side is the billfish coast, with modern marinas and a full tournament calendar. The Caribbean side is known for snook. Inland, Lake Arenal is a popular freshwater spot for native cichlids. Our coverage starts with the Costa Rica Pacific Coast.
Guanacaste (North Pacific) is known for marlin fishing year-round, with bases at Coco and Ocotal beaches, Tamarindo, Sámara and Carrillo. Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia has direct flights from the United States, which makes it convenient for a short trip.
The Central Pacific has the marina at Playa Herradura, home of Los Sueños, with about 250 slips, and Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, with room for about 100 boats. Charters from both target sailfish, marlin, tuna, mahi-mahi and roosterfish, and many Central Pacific ports are about an hour from Juan Santamaría International Airport near San José.
The South Pacific is the remote option. Golfito, Drake, Puerto Jiménez, Zancudo and the Golfo Dulce are fishing centers reached by domestic flights to local airstrips.
The North Caribbean, including the canals at Barra del Colorado and Parismina, is known for snook and offers packages that include fishing and transport from San José.
The Pacific side has a clear dry season from December to March, with April as a transition, and a rainy or green season from May to October. September and October are the rainiest months, and July and August often bring a drier spell called the “little summer.” The tourism board lists sport fishing for marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and roosterfish among the Pacific coast’s dry-season highlights, and the major billfish tournaments run from January into April. Los Sueños calls December through June its peak billfish season, while marlin are still caught in the green season.
The Caribbean follows a different pattern, with no well-defined dry season. Its relatively dry spells fall in February and March and again in September and October.
Costa Rica requires a sport fishing license (carné) from INCOPESCA for anyone fishing from land, from a boat or underwater, and captains and crew need their own. Boat-fishing licenses come in 8-day, one-month and one-year terms, and you apply online. Rules on species, closed areas and what you can keep change, so check INCOPESCA before every trip and ask your captain.
U.S. travelers should check the State Department’s Costa Rica page for current entry requirements. For general license background, see our fishing licenses guide, and for packing advice, traveling with fishing gear.
Facts checked against these sources on October 23, 2026. Seasons, rules and businesses change; confirm with the official source before you travel. How we research.
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