The Bahamas is a tropical paradise that is also home to some of the best fishing in the world. Anglers of all kinds can find a bucket list trip here from fly fishing on the flats to trolling bluewater. The Bahamas have more sportfish species than anywhere else with fish from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean migrating here. No matter what type of fishing you are after, the Bahamas has it along with beautiful beaches to boot.
The inshore fishing in the Bahamas is an angler’s dream with pristine flats full of challenging fish. The flats here have bucket list species like tarpon, bonefish, and permit each offering a unique challenge. There are few places where you can hit the flats in perfect weather and knock out three fish of a lifetime in one trip.
Tarpon move through the Bahamas in the spring and feed aggressively until the summer. An average tarpon here is massive measuring six feet long and 150 pounds but they get even bigger earning the nickname “The Silver King.” These fish are incredibly powerful and take off on long leaping runs if you can get one to bite. Tarpon are notorious for being frustratingly picky and fickle eaters so anglers will have to bring their best to fool one.
Permit are also a hard to convince fish that draws anglers from around the world to these flats to test their skills. These fish can get pretty large growing over 36 inches long and weighing more than 60 pounds but it's not their size that makes them so challenging. They have very sharp eyesight that can detect when even the smallest thing is out of place. That combined with their skittish nature makes this fish tough to catch but fun to chase. The best time to find a permit on the flats is from spring through summer and fall to the first sign of winter, after that the bite drops off and they become hard to find.
Bahamas Nearshore Fishing
Nearshore fishing in the Bahamas consists of bottom fishing near the reefs to catch various snapper species, grouper, and amberjack. The most popular snapper species here include red snapper, cubera snapper, and mutton snapper which live with popular grouper species like gag grouper, yellowfin grouper, and warsaw grouper. All of these fish can grow large and put up a great fight but also taste delicious.
Amberjack are exceptional sportfish typically weighing 30 to 60 pounds but can grow well over 100 pounds. They can be found near bottom structure or patrolling the reefs in schools making it possible to get multiple bites at the same time. The best time to catch amberjack in the Bahamas is from March through August when they move through on their annual migration.
The snapper and grouper fishing here is second to none with excellent fishing throughout the year. These fish group up near structure and once you find a school of fish it’s going to be bent rod after bent rod. Some of these snapper and grouper species can grow over 100 pounds which makes fighting one off the bottom a real battle. The best time to target these fish is between March and October before some of the seasons close in the winter.
Bahamas Deep Sea Fishing
The deep sea fishing in the open waters surrounding the Bahamas is full of highly prized pelagic species. Lurking in the nearby bluewater are yellowfin, blackfin, and bluefin tuna along with billfish like blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, and swordfish. If that wasn’t enough wahoo, dorado, cero mackerel, and kingfish also swing through the Bahamas to hunt giving anglers more species to target than anywhere else.
With almost every single big league pelagic sportfish patrolling and hunting these waters, the action is always on fire. If you're after giant fish then blue marlin, bluefin tuna, swordfish, and yellowfin tuna will bring all the fight you can handle. These fish are all capable of weighing more than 1,000 pounds except for yellowfin tuna which top out around 400 pounds.
Smaller by comparison but still large, the rest of the pelagic species are incredibly aggressive, tough, but also beautiful. The wahoo, dorado, cero mackerel, kingfish, white marlin, sailfish, and blackfin tuna move through the Bahamas at different times of year and create some of the best year round fishing in the world. The size of these fish varies from cero mackerel at 17 pounds to sailfish that can hit the 200 pound mark.
While the fishing is great at any time of year, if you want to target a specific fish there are peak seasons to keep in mind. Starting in the spring, white marlin, sailfish, mackerel, and dorado are all at their best. From late spring into summer, the tuna bite is on along with blue marlin and kingfish. Starting in the fall and lasting through winter, wahoo dominate the water and crush anything in sight.
Bahamas Tides and Weather
The weather is almost always perfect but to make sure you are prepared check out tide times and charts here, and the weather forecast here.
