Species & seasons
Cabo San Lucas sits where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, one of the most productive marine ecosystems on Earth. Something is always biting.
Fish you can catch56 species · seasons, limits and how we fish themWildlife you can see53 sharks, rays, whales, dolphins, turtles, seabirds and more
In season now · November
At their peak off Cabo this month.
Big game · 10
Marlin, dorado, tuna, wahoo and the rest of Cabo’s offshore game fish.
Regulated
Striped Marlin
Kajikia audax
Regulated
Blue Marlin
Makaira nigricans
Regulated
Black Marlin
Istiompax indica
Sport fishing
Dorado (Mahi-Mahi)
Coryphaena hippurus
Sport fishing
Yellowfin Tuna
Thunnus albacares
Sport fishing
Wahoo
Acanthocybium solandri
Sport fishing
Roosterfish
Nematistius pectoralis
Regulated
Pacific Sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus
Regulated
Swordfish
Xiphias gladius
Regulated
Shortbill spearfish
Tetrapturus angustirostris
Small pelagics · 16
Sport fishing
Pacific sierra
Scomberomorus sierra
Sport fishing
California yellowtail
Seriola dorsalis
Sport fishing
Pacific crevalle jack
Caranx caninus
Sport fishing
Skipjack tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis
Sport fishing
Striped bonito
Sarda orientalis
Sport fishing
Black skipjack
Euthynnus lineatus
Sport fishing
Almaco jack
Seriola rivoliana
Sport fishing
Bigeye trevally
Caranx sexfasciatus
Sport fishing
Rainbow runner
Elagatis bipinnulata
Sport fishing
Mexican barracuda
Sphyraena ensis
Sport fishing
Mexican needlefish
Tylosurus fodiator
Sport fishing
Bigeye tuna
Thunnus obesus
Sport fishing
Pacific bonito
Sarda lineolata
Sport fishing
African pompano
Alectis ciliaris
Sport fishing
Black jack
Caranx lugubris
Sport fishing
Golden trevally
Gnathanodon speciosus
Reef & bottom fish · 28
Sport fishing
Leopard grouper
Mycteroperca rosacea
Sport fishing
Colorado snapper
Lutjanus colorado
Sport fishing
Finescale triggerfish
Balistes polylepis
Sport fishing
Spotted cabrilla
Epinephelus analogus
Sport fishing
Pacific dog snapper
Lutjanus novemfasciatus
Sport fishing
Barred pargo
Hoplopagrus guentherii
Regulated
Gulf grouper
Mycteroperca jordani
Sport fishing
Yellow snapper
Lutjanus argentiventris
Sport fishing
Pacific white snook
Centropomus viridis
Wildlife
Jewel moray
Muraena lentiginosa
Wildlife
Panamic green moray
Gymnothorax castaneus
Sport fishing
Giant hawkfish
Cirrhitus rivulatus
Protected
Cortez angelfish
Pomacanthus zonipectus
Wildlife
Barberfish
Johnrandallia nigrirostris
Wildlife
Bumphead parrotfish
Scarus perrico
Wildlife
Cortez rainbow wrasse
Thalassoma lucasanum
Wildlife
Ember parrotfish
Scarus rubroviolaceus
Sport fishing
Flag cabrilla
Epinephelus labriformis
Protected
King angelfish
Holacanthus passer
Sport fishing
Mexican hogfish
Bodianus diplotaenia
Wildlife
Moorish idol
Zanclus cornutus
Wildlife
Pacific creolefish
Cephalopholis colonus
Sport fishing
Pacific red snapper
Lutjanus peru
Protected
Pacific seahorse
Hippocampus ingens
Wildlife
Sanguine frogfish
Abantennarius sanguineus
Sport fishing
Spotted rose snapper
Lutjanus guttatus
Wildlife
Threeband butterflyfish
Chaetodon humeralis
Wildlife
Yellowtail surgeonfish
Prionurus laticlavius
Sharks & rays · 16
Regulated
Shortfin mako
Isurus oxyrinchus
Regulated
Scalloped hammerhead
Sphyrna lewini
Protected
Whale shark
Rhincodon typus
Protected
Munk's devil ray (mobula)
Mobula munkiana
Regulated
Silky shark
Carcharhinus falciformis
Protected
Giant manta ray
Mobula birostris
Regulated
Pelagic thresher
Alopias pelagicus
Regulated
Blue shark
Prionace glauca
Protected
Spinetail devil ray
Mobula mobular
Regulated
Golden cownose ray
Rhinoptera steindachneri
Regulated
Round stingray
Urobatis halleri
Regulated
Pacific spotted eagle ray
Aetobatus laticeps
Regulated
Whitetip reef shark
Triaenodon obesus
Regulated
Pacific nurse shark
Ginglymostoma unami
Regulated
Tiger shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
Regulated
Bull shark
Carcharhinus leucas
Deep sea & open ocean · 2
Marine mammals · 14
Protected
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Protected
Gray whale
Eschrichtius robustus
Protected
California sea lion
Zalophus californianus
Protected
Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Protected
Blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus
Protected
Fin whale
Balaenoptera physalus
Protected
Orca (killer whale)
Orcinus orca
Protected
Common dolphin
Delphinus delphis
Protected
Sperm whale
Physeter macrocephalus
Protected
Spinner dolphin
Stenella longirostris
Protected
Risso’s dolphin
Grampus griseus
Protected
Short-finned pilot whale
Globicephala macrorhynchus
Protected
Bryde’s whale
Balaenoptera edeni
Protected
Rough-toothed dolphin
Steno bredanensis
Month-by-month season calendar
Peak = the best months to target each species from Cabo San Lucas. Good = regular catches. Some = occasional.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped Marlin | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Some | Some | Peak | Peak | Peak | Oct–May |
| Blue Marlin | Some | Off | Off | Some | Some | Some | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Some | Jul–Nov |
| Black Marlin | Off | Off | Off | Off | Some | Some | Good | Peak | Peak | Good | Good | Some | Aug–Sep |
| Dorado (Mahi-Mahi) | Good | Good | Some | Some | Good | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Aug–Nov |
| Yellowfin Tuna | Good | Good | Some | Some | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Jun–Nov |
| Wahoo | Good | Some | Some | Some | Good | Some | Some | Some | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Nov–Dec |
| Roosterfish | Good | Good | Good | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Some | Some | Good | Good | May–Jul |
| Pacific Sailfish | Some | Off | Off | Off | Some | Some | Good | Peak | Peak | Peak | Good | Some | Aug–Oct |
PeakGoodSomeOff