Fishing Limits in Mexico

Before fishing in Mexican waters all anglers must have a valid Mexican Sport Fishing License. This license covers all types of fishing and is valid anywhere in Mexico. These licenses may be purchased by day, week, month or year.

The boat operators normally provide licenses for people fishing on charter sport fishing boats, check before you go. A fishing license is also required for underwater fishing. A fishing license is not required when fishing from land.
Only one rod or line with hook is permitted in the water, per person, but there is no restriction regarding the number of replacement items.

The fishing license allows you to capture only fin fish. It does not allow you to capture any mollusks or crustaceans, and their capture by anyone is strictly prohibited. Totuava, turtles and marine mammals are under protection of the Ministry and may not be captured at any time.

Sounds simple enough but it get´s complicated when you start catching fish like Marlin or Dorado or Shark.

In ocean waters and estuaries the limit is a total of ten (10) fish per day, with no more than five (5) catches of a single species.

Examples of Daily Limit

• One Marlin and 2 Dorado  or
• One Sailfish and One Marlin  or
• 2 Dorado and 2 Roosterfish or
• One Shark and One Marlin or
• One Marlin and 5 Amberjack

That's it, your done, go home, enjoy a nice fish dinner.

Catch and Release

Mexican Law states, “There is no limit to the practice of "catch and release", as long as the fish that exceed the bag limit be returned to their environment in good survival condition.”


“Catch and Release” fishing is growing in popularity around the world and especially here in Mexico where we have so many sport fishermen and women from California, USA.

These fishermen realize that fishing resources are not infinite and that without the careful management of fishing, entire areas and species can be lost forever as has happened in many parts of the West Coast of the U.S.A.

Please Release All Sharks

Sharks and rays are especially sensitive to over-fishing because they reproduce at a late age, have very few young and have a long gestation period. The population of sharks and rays has dropped dramatically in the past few years around the world.

Side Note: A World Fisheries Report suggests that we may have already crossed the tipping point for world fish populations. They forecast that the commercial fishing industry WORLD WIDE will come to an end in less than 40 years.

Admittedly, sport fishing is not the major threat to fish populations. But every fish taken is one more that will not breed and that much more pressure on the species.

We encourage all that enjoy the sport to practice catch and release. not to save the day, but to prolong the inevitable.