Belize Fishing Vacation

Belize is Central America’s smallest country, but it offers an incredibly diverse fishery with deep sea fishing, reef fishing, and flats fishing. Unlike other Central American countries that have access to both the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, Belize has just 240 miles of Caribbean Coastline to enjoy. Yet what it lacks in national territory it makes up for it with a bevy of marine riches like three of the four atolls in the Western Hemisphere, over 400 cayes, and of course the second longest barrier reef in the entire world – the Mesoamerican Reef. Belize has done a wonderful job protecting both the reef and the fishery itself, becoming the first country in the world to mandate the catch and release of all bonefish, permit, and tarpon in 2008. More recently, they have begun to ban gill-netting as well and have put more restrictions on the whale shark tours. Whether you are into big game offshore species or variety fishing inside the reef, conventional tackle or fly fishing, snorkeling or diving – Belize is an ocean lover’s dream destination.

With the different venues of offshore fishing, reef fishing, and flats fishing there is never a bad time to plan your next Belize fishing vacation. Some of the game fish in Belize are seasonal and migratory species while others are present year round and are affected more by weather and wind, so knowing when to go is of the utmost importance. By nature of being on the Caribbean, the weather can be wildly unpredictable and can change from day to day, but the good news is even the bad weather systems don’t last for more than a few days. Below is our Belize fishing calendar to give you a general idea of the different species and fishing seasons. We customize all of our Belize fishing packages so once you contact us we’ll work with you personally to make sure you are in the right spot at the right time for the fishing you want to do.

Belize is the smallest country in Central America covering just 8,866 sq. miles (22, 963 sq km). From north to south, its pristine Caribbean Coastline runs just over 180 miles. Despite all that, Belize is still home to the world’s second longest barrier reef, three of the four atolls in the Western Hemisphere, and inside the reef you’ll find over 400 cayes. Needless to say, with that unique geography comes amazing sport fishing opportunities. Whether you are fishing along the reef with light tackle or fly fishing the miles of flats and mangroves, fishing in Belize is as enjoyable as it gets. Below is our list of the best fishing destinations in Belize.

Ambergris Caye is the most popular and the most developed destination in Belize. It also happens to be the largest island in Belize as it runs twenty five miles from north to south. The main town on the island, San Pedro, is just a quick 25-minute flight away from the BZE Airport and with hourly flights, it’s easy to get here the same day you fly into Belize. With properties and developments seemingly one after another, finding a nice place to stay on the island is just as easy. You can stay in a boutique hotel, a fully furnished condo if you are traveling in a small group, or one of the most legendary fishing lodges in Belize, the famous El Pescador Resort.
Fishing from a 25-mile long island provides lots of interesting opportunities. Most importantly, it always offers you the ability to get out of the wind and find some calmer conditions to fish in. The water between the island and reef is heavily trafficked with boats from hotels, dive operations, and water taxis, so most fishing guides will take you to the other side to fish in shallow flats, sand flats with turtle grass for bonefish, or the extensive mangrove system.

The popular beach town of Placencia is located at the very end of the 16-mile long Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize. While not as developed and touristy as Ambergris Caye, Placencia has the perfect mix of luxury hotels and rentals, quality fishing guides, and a beach town that is welcoming and friendly. You can walk the famous sidewalk and see that the town is full of bars, restaurants, and boutique shops to check out.. Unlike much of Ambergris Caye, it also has beautiful white sand beaches to enjoy. Placencia is a unique town where locals and tourist-catering businesses co exist and co habitat seamlessly.
Placencia is ideally situated near the end of ‘Permit Alley’, a twenty-mile stretch of pristine saltwater flats that are home to some of the best permit fishing in the world. For anglers looking to check off the ever-elusive permit from their bucket list, Placencia is the ideal place to make it happen. There are also abundant opportunities for bonefish and tarpon, so a grand slam is always in the cards here. In addition to the miles and miles of saltwater flats on the ocean side of the peninsula, anglers can also fish the massive lagoon that is on the other side. Depending on the time of year, this can be the ideal place to target snook and juvenile tarpon, who use the lagoon and mangroves as a nursery before they head out to sea. Farther south, Monkey River also offers ideal habitat for snook and tarpon. These are also great locations to hide out for a day if the weather isn’t cooperating out on the flats. Last but not least, anglers who want to fish the reef can do so as it’s only 19 miles from town.

The southernmost city in Belize is Punta Gorda, referred to simply as “P.G.”. A town of just about 5,000 people, it is every bit the sleepy Caribbean fishing village you imagine it to be hiding out in southern Belize. Therein lies the main benefit of traveling to the southern tip of Belize to fish – there isn’t anyone else down here!

The fishing in PG is done almost exclusively by the talented Garbutt family. For those who know fly fishing in Belize, that last name is like royalty when it comes to flats guides. The waters off the coast of PG provide miles and miles of pristine, untouched flats that hold endless numbers of permit. The permit fishing is so good, PG is often called the “Permit Capital of Belize”. In addition to the flats, if the wind kicks up or if the fish are hard to find, there is also a massive lagoon system protected by mangroves that holds bonefish, permit, snook, and tarpon. Last but not least, the Rio Grande is a major river that can also be a good place to target snook and tarpon during the changing tides.

The largest atoll in Belize, Turneffe makes for arguably the most exotic and visually stunning fishery in Belize. Located twenty miles off the coast, the Turneffe Atoll is roughly thirty miles long by ten miles wide and spans 325,412 acres. Being that this is located outside of the Mesoamerican Reef, the waters surrounding the atoll are deep ocean water which makes it an incredible spot for biodiversity and marine life. Belize recognized this by making Turneffe the country’s largest protected marine reserve in 2012.
Simply put, Turneffe offers some of the most unique, untouched, and productive fishing in all of Belize. They are spoiled with miles and miles of flats, and being twenty miles offshore, you don’t need to worry about someone else working the same flat right before you show up. In fact, it’s more common than not to not even see another fishing boat while you are out there. There is an extensive mangrove system that provides perfect habitat for tarpon, snook, and barracuda. The sandy bottoms and seagrass keep bonefish happy year round. If the wind picks up, there are hundreds of places you can go to fish behind mangroves or the leeward side of smaller islands to avoid it. Best of all, you don’t have to sleep in a tent or even remotely rough it to experience this incredible fishery as Turneffe Flats has been hosting fly anglers for the past four years. What started as two small cabins run by a generator in 1985 has evolved into one of Belize’s best fishing lodges. Today ‘Tflats’ offers eight beachfront cabanas, three villas, and a dining all – all with AC and hot water shower.As if fishing all day at the Turneffe Atoll wasn’t enough fun, you can actually wade fish the flats at night right in front of the lodge after your charter ends.