PACIFIC MEXICO FISHING MAP

Fishing Hot Spots

From Mazatlán and Isla Isabel down past San Blas, Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay, Barra de Navidad and Manzanillo, to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Huatulco and the sailfish grounds off Puerto Chiapas near Guatemala. Tap any star or dot to see what it is and what to fish there.

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Fishing & access

Marine chart layers

Parks & rules

Data rule: Isla Isabel comes from the Marine Regions (VLIZ) gazetteer and the big bays from OpenStreetMap; these are general centers, not pinpoints, and each star says so. Marinas and launches come from OpenStreetMap, and the protected areas come from the World Database on Protected Areas. The Islas Marietas National Park, closed to fishing, is shown in solid red; the other parks, where fishing follows their own rules, are shown in dashed red. Every star shows its source when you tap it. BigJoe does not invent coordinates. The exact sources used on this map are listed under Map sources & checks below.
Select a Fishing Hot Spot on the map or from the list below.
★ Fishing Hot SpotBoat rampMarinaWreckObstructionRock (yellow = awash)Coral / rock bottomCanyonWeather/tide stationNo-fishing zone (solid red)Protected area, fishing with rules (dashed red)

Safety: these are planning references. Use current official charts, weather and marine alerts and proper safety equipment before heading out.

Lake guides for this map

Month-by-month patterns, fish, ramps and rules for each water:

📘 Puerto Vallarta & Banderas Bay📘 Mazatlán

All fishing guides →

Fishing Hot Spots by area

Marinas, bays and islands. Tap one to fly to it on the map.

Sailfish, marlin and giant tuna down Mexico's Pacific coast

Mainland Mexico's Pacific coast is billfish country from end to end. Mazatlán has fished striped marlin and sailfish for generations, Manzanillo calls itself the sailfish capital of the world, and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Huatulco and Puerto Chiapas see sailfish all year, with some of the best numbers anywhere off Chiapas.

Puerto Vallarta's Banderas Bay is famous for roosterfish, dorado and sailfish, and the boats run offshore for yellowfin tuna that can top 300 pounds. Along the beaches and mangroves, snook, roosterfish and pargo are a big draw.

Rules: Mexico requires a fishing license for every person on a boat, even if they are not fishing. The Islas Marietas are closed to fishing, and other parks have their own rules.

BigJoe’s gear for Pacific Mexico (mainland)

What BigJoe would bring to fish these waters.

Trolling luresSkirted trolling lures for marlin, ahi & onoShop on Amazon ↗Trolling rod50 lb class trolling rodShop on Amazon ↗Trolling reelLever-drag trolling reelShop on Amazon ↗Ulua rod12 ft heavy surf rod for uluaShop on Amazon ↗Papio luresPoppers & plugs for papioShop on Amazon ↗JigsSlow-pitch jigs for bottomfishShop on Amazon ↗Line80 lb monofilamentShop on Amazon ↗Gaff6 ft fishing gaffShop on Amazon ↗

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Species GuidesFish found in these waters.Weather & TidesCheck the ocean before you go.All Hot Spots mapsThe Caribbean, the U.S., Canada, South America and the Pacific.

Map sources & checks

Coverage
Pacific Mexico. Mapped features come from public datasets and can be incomplete or out of date: a missing reef, ramp or wreck does not mean it is not there.
Map data
Hot spots
16 hot spots, each with its own source (tap any star to see it): OpenStreetMap marina or harbor (10), OpenStreetMap boat ramp (2), OpenStreetMap/Nominatim named place (general position, not a pinpoint) (2), Marine Regions gazetteer (1), OpenStreetMap mapped feature (1).
Protected areas
5 protected areas from the official list above, drawn in dashed red. Fishing rules inside them are set by the managing agency; check with them before you fish.
Chart layers (Charts button)
GEBCO ocean depth and OpenSeaMap buoys, lights and markers. GEBCO and OpenSeaMap are useful references, not official navigation charts.
Weather & tides
See Weather & Tides for this area: Open-Meteo weather and marine models. Tides here are estimated from a global sea-level model, not official tide tables.
Dates
This page last updated October 15, 2026. Each dataset keeps its own retrieval date, shown above.

⚠️ Planning reference only, not for navigation. Use current official charts, weather and marine alerts, and proper safety gear before heading out.

See something wrong or missing? Tell us and we will check it against the source.