Panamá: a First-Rate Fishing Destination

With world record fishing, more than 2,900 km (1,800 miles) of coastline and the perfect conditions to do it at any time of the year, Panamá is an unparalleled destination for sport fishing. Whether you prefer deep sea fishing, inshore fishing, or are into freshwater fishing, Panama has what you are looking for. Join the hundreds of travelers from all over the world who come to Panamanian waters to practice this sport. Here you will find some of the best places to fish for large species and freshwater fish.

You’ll be happy to know that in Panamá, you can go fishing at any time of the year, and don’t need a license for sport fishing either.

In Panamá, two ocean currents meet: a cold current flowing down from Antarctica and a warm current from the South. This merger creates the perfect conditions for plankton—baitfish food—to thrive in Panamanian Pacific waters. This makes it an ideal ecosystem to catch bigger fish.

Raising the Flag of Sustainability and Wildlife Conservation

In Panamá, we take the conservation of our sea life very seriously. We have the toughest legislation on fishing in all Central America. The law prohibits the hunting of any marlins, including the black marlin, the blue marlin, the striped marlin, the white marlin, the spearfish, the sailfish and the swordfish. In addition, the law dictates that that these fish are reserved only to be caught and immediately released during sport fishing.

Try to arrange your fishing trip with certified tour operators. They will watch over our waters and sea life, and will share their knowledge with the travelers on board to ensure responsible fishing practices.

Pesca Bandera

Pesca Golfo de Chiriquí

Fishing in the Gulf of Chiriqui

The Gulf of Chiriqui stretches along the Pacific coast southwest of Panamá. It boasts abundant vegetation, stunning white sand islands and one of the largest coral reefs in the Pacific, making it one of the best destinations for sport fishing, diving and snorkeling.

During your visit, don't miss out on Hannibal Bank, an area with an abundance of yellowfin tuna, blue and black marlin and Pacific sailfish. You can also go to Montuosa Island, well known for its huge billfish and lots of tuna. It is also an excellent source of grouper and salmonet snapper. If you are looking for other species, such as the pejegallo, king mackerel and wahoo, set up your trip in Parida Island. Surrounded by mangroves, Parida is also an underwater sanctuary for turtles and marine life.

World Records in Piña Bay

Maybe one of the most incredible fishing spots in Panamá, Piña Bay, located in the Darien province, holds over 300 deep sea fishing world records, more than any other place on Earth. Most of the records set here were for marlin and Pacific sailfish. Secluded and surrounded by lush rainforest, Piña Bay is home to Zane Grey Reef, a large underwater mountain that rises from the seafloor and peeks over the surface. Here, recreational fishermen will find an abundance of bluefish, swordfish, marlin, tuna, dorado, snapper, snook, dolphinfish, wahoo, barracuda, and blue, black and striped marlin. Piña Bay can be reached by plane with regular flights to and from Panama City arriving at the Piña Bay Airport.

Pesca Bahía Piña

Copy of Pesca Ciudad de Panamá

Cast the Line From Panama City

The Gulf of Panama offers the opportunity to discover many top-notch fishing spots, and it’s the only sea route connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Panama Canal. In this area there is a series of smaller gulfs and bays, such as Panama Bay, the Gulf of Parita and the Gulf of San Miguel.

In the heart of the Gulf of Panama lie the Pearl Islands, which comprise more than 200 uninhabited islands and islets for premium fishing trips all year round. It’s very easy to get to these beautiful white-sand beaches and spend the day watching whales, diving and admiring preserved nature and sea life.

Fishing in the Panama Canal Watershed

As for freshwater fishing, the best spots are found in a unique place in the world: Gatun Lake. An artificial lake that was designed and built as fresh water storage for the operation of the Panama Canal locks.

Gatun Lake is located in the south of the province of Colon, 30 minutes by car from Panama City and has a length of 33 kilometers (20 miles). If you want to fish there, the typical access is from Gamboa, a town that is practically mid-canal, where the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet. There, you will take a motorboat from where you will cast your rods to fish the great abundance of sergeant fish that inhabit the lake.

Pesca Cuenta del Canal

Pesca Pedasí y Tonosi

Fishing in Pedasí and Tonosí

Pedasí is a fishing village well known for its first-rate sport fishing. Get ready to visit one of the most productive fishing areas in the whole Pacific, with species such as cockfish, cubera snapper, amberjack, tuna fish, wahoo, dolphinfish, grouper, marlin and many others.

The coast that caresses the towns of Pedasí, Venao and Cambutal has earned the name “Tuna Coast”. Would you like to go fishing in an area rich in “tuna cows”? Particularly between May and July, fishermen can capture huge tunas weighing more than 200 pounds (almost 90 kilos)!

Preserved Paradise in Pacific Coast of Veraguas

On the Pacific Coast of Veraguas you will find the Gulf of Montijo, an area full of lush vegetation and mangrove forests that offers almost 100 km (over 60 miles) of winding canals to explore. From the Pacific Coast of Veraguas you can venture into the remote paradise of Isla Cebaco or Coiba National Park, two paradisiacal islands surrounded by marine life, where you can fish for species such as tuna and wahoo. You can organize your visit from the beaches of Santa Catalina, a town very popular with marine wildlife lovers.

Pesca Veraguas