Costa Rica Pacific Fishing Seasons by Region and Month

Costa Rica’s Pacific coast fishes all year, but the calendar still matters. The short version: the dry season, December through April, is the classic window for sailfish, roosterfish and dorado, and it is when the big billfish tournaments run. Marlin are caught year-round, so the rainy green season is a real option if you can live with afternoon storms and want fewer people.

Everything below is a broad pattern, not a promise. Ocean conditions, bait and weather vary from year to year, so check recent fishing reports from your marina as your dates approach. For the full trip overview, see our Costa Rica Pacific Coast guide.

Dry season vs green season

The Pacific side has two seasons and two transition months.

• Dry season (December to March, with April as a transition): Sunny, hot and dry. March is usually the hottest and driest month.
• Green season (May to October, with November as a transition): The rainy season. Rain falls mostly in the afternoon and early evening, so mornings are often clear enough to fish.
• The little summer (July and August): A drier spell inside the green season, called the veranillo, when the trade winds pick up.
• The wettest months (September and October): The heaviest rain of the year. Leave extra time for road travel.

The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30, overlapping the green season. See our trip safety and weather guide before you book a green-season trip.

Seasons by region

The coast is long, and the three fishing regions have their own character, even if the weather follows the same broad pattern.

Guanacaste and the North Pacific

Guanacaste is known for marlin fishing all year. Sport fishing is one of the main draws of the North Pacific, and several world records for the largest released swordfish have come from these waters. Popular fishing bases include Coco and Ocotal beaches, Tamarindo, Sámara and Carrillo.

The dry season is also the time for fishing and diving trips to the Catalina Islands. Guanacaste’s other advantage is access: Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia has direct flights from the United States, which makes a short trip easy to arrange.

Central Pacific: Los Sueños and Quepos

The Central Pacific is the busiest billfish coast, with two full-service marinas.

Los Sueños, at Playa Herradura, calls December through June its peak billfish season for sailfish and black, blue and striped marlin. It describes its fishing season as year-round, with marlin found at nearby seamounts through the green season. Its three-leg Signature Triple Crown tournament runs in January, February and March.

Quepos, home of Marina Pez Vela, lists sailfish, marlin and roosterfish as dry-season highlights. Marina Pez Vela runs a full calendar of events, including dorado tournaments in November, a marlin invitational in December, billfish and roosterfish events from January through April, the Offshore World Championship in April, and a tuna tournament in June. Quepos also catches snapper, amberjack, wahoo, dorado and yellowfin tuna.

If you are deciding between the two, see the comparison on our destination page. Both offer inshore and offshore trips.

South Pacific: Golfito and the Osa

The south is the remote option. Fishing centers include Golfito, the Golfo Dulce, Drake, Puerto Jiménez and Zancudo. The tourism board lists marlin and dorado as the South Pacific’s dry-season fishing. Domestic flights from San José reach airstrips at Golfito, Drake, Coto 47 and Palmar Sur, which helps when green-season rain makes long drives slow.

Month by month

Month	Season	What to expect
January	Dry	Sailfish, marlin, roosterfish, dorado and tuna. Los Sueños tournament season begins.
February	Dry	Dry-season fishing continues. Billfish tournaments at Los Sueños and Quepos.
March	Dry, hottest	Billfish, roosterfish and dorado. Last leg of the Los Sueños Triple Crown.
April	Transition	Still dry-season fishing. The Offshore World Championship runs out of Quepos.
May	Green begins	Los Sueños still calls this peak billfish season. Rain returns in the afternoons.
June	Green	End of the Los Sueños peak billfish stretch. Marina Pez Vela holds a tuna tournament.
July	Green, little summer	Often a drier spell. Marlin at the seamounts. Humpback whales arrive off Quepos.
August	Green, little summer	Marlin fishing continues. Whale season off Quepos.
September	Green, wettest	Heaviest rain. Marlin are still caught; plan for morning trips and flexible days.
October	Green, wettest	Heavy rain continues. Whales stay off Quepos through November.
November	Transition	Rain eases. Marina Pez Vela holds dorado tournaments.
December	Dry begins	Start of the classic window and of the Los Sueños peak billfish season.

Species calendar

These windows match the season chart on our destination page.

• Marlin: Year-round, with the peak from December through June. Guanacaste is known for marlin all year, and the Central Pacific seamounts hold marlin in the green season.
• Sailfish: December through June is the core window, with tournaments concentrated from January into April.
• Roosterfish: A dry-season inshore target, December through April. They are caught on fly or spinning tackle.
• Dorado (mahi-mahi): Listed as dry-season fishing in the South Pacific, and caught inshore and offshore from Los Sueños. Quepos also runs dorado tournaments in November.
• Tuna: Yellowfin are an offshore catch, named by the tourism board as dry-season fishing on the Puntarenas coast. Quepos also holds a tuna tournament in June.

Tournaments and timing your trip

Tournament dates are worth knowing whether or not you plan to fish one. They fall in the heart of the billfish season, and they also bring extra boats and anglers to the marina. Check the event calendars at Los Sueños and Marina Pez Vela before you lock in dates.

Choosing your dates

• Best overall odds: January through April. Book flights, marina lodging and boats early.
• Billfish with fewer crowds: May and June, still inside the Los Sueños peak, with afternoon rain.
• A green-season value trip: July and August, during the little summer, plus whale watching off Quepos.
• The months to think twice about: September and October, the rainiest stretch, which also falls in the hurricane season.

Whatever you choose, make sure you or your captain has a sport fishing license from INCOPESCA; our destination page explains how it works. For a wider view of winter sun trips, see warm-weather winter fishing.