When is the best time to fish Guatemala? That’s a good question.
The fishing in Guatemala is really, really good. It is so good, in fact, that it’s difficult to compare Guatemala to other blue water fisheries around the world.
The difficulty in comparison extends beyond just the incredible sailfish numbers. Ours is a year-round fishery.
In most other places, there are defined seasons. There is the right time to come and there is the rest of the year. In some places this seasonality is more defined than in others, but in most parts of the offshore fishing world, it is easier to assign a best time than it is to do so in Guatemala.
Rather than relating a high season or low season, we break the fishing calendar into two parts- November through April and May through October. Both are great times to fish. Each has its own characteristic charm.
And yes, we catch lots of sailfish and plenty of blue marlin in every calendar month that we fish. What follows is an assessment of what we like about each part of the year.
The Defining Characteristics of Fishing in Guatemala
When considering why Guatemala is so much different than so many other places, there are perhaps three main variables: sailfish, blue marlin, and calm seas. Adding to these, there are yellowfin tuna and dorado.
From a high level, we catch sailfish, blue marlin, dorado, and yellowfin tuna throughout the year. If you were to throw a dart blindly at the calendar, the chances of fishing in calm seas in Guatemala are pretty good, too. No matter when you come, the calm seas, blue marlin, and sailfish are the calling cards of the offshore experience in Guatemala.
When thinking about the right time for your trip in 2026, it is a matter of weighing these three variables. Here’s our take on doing just that.
November through April: The Time of Sailfish Records, Blue Marlin are Here.
Part of the reason that we steer clear from saying that any part of the year is high season is that doing so unfairly characterizes the remainder of the calendar. And for many years, that’s just how the fishing world viewed Guatemala.
For decades, November through April was considered the season in Guatemala. And with good reason.
The sailfish are here. They’re consistent and they aggregate in large numbers.
We have set most of our lodge sailfish records this time of year. The group tally—520 sailfish releases over 10 boat days (two boats fishing three days, one boat fishing four days), was in January. Our single-day sailfish on the fly record (23) and the record for single-day sailfish releases on conventional tackle (73) were also set this time of the year.
Of course, we can’t promise an 80 sailfish trip, but if you were to book a year or two out with the hope of seeing what a 100-sailfish bite day looks like, January, February, or March in Guatemala would be about as solid a bet as you could make—anywhere.
This time of year, we also catch plenty of blue marlin. The marlin fishing, however, tends to come in waves.
Of course, you might catch two or three in a day if they’re here. And any day when you release 20 sailfish and a blue marlin is a really good day.
The weather this time of year is generally calm. It is, however, more likely to be bumpy this time of the year than our other season.
The hallmark of November through April, the reason that anglers have worn a path from around the world to Guatemala in the early part of the year, are the mobs of sailfish. Packs of three, four, even five sailfish attacking the spread at the same time.
That is not to say that this is the best time of year to come. It is to say that this is the season of the cockpit dance. And what a dance it is.
The incredible sailfish numbers provide a number of interesting opportunities. Want a shot at catching sails on the fly, have a shot at multiples, or a chance to release 30 sailfish in a day, November through April is a good bet.
May through October: Peak Blue Marlin, Season of the big Tuna. Calm Seas, and yes, there are plenty of Sailfish, too.
After reading about 30 release days and setting lodge sailfish records, how could the other half of the year compete? Just ask Captain Kiwi.
Captain Chris Van Leeuwen, with his wife Liz, owns the Sailfish Oasis. He’s fished here for more than two decades.
When you ask Kiwi about his favorite time to fish Guatemala, his answer is a pensive one full of perspective. After explaining how much he enjoys the great sailfish numbers of December, January, and February, he lands on June, July, and August.
This is the time of the blue marlin in Guatemala. The seas are characteristically calm. Many days it’s like trolling about for marlin and sailfish on a giant, slick, blue lake.
The fishing on the edge for blue marlin can be really good and really consistent. It was this time of year that we set the lodge record for blue marlin—releasing 7 from 13 bites. There are also schools of big yellowfin this time of year this time of year.
Do we catch sailfish this time of year? Of course, we’re fishing in Guatemala after all.
The sailfish are here consistently. Year in, year out, we will have waves of incredible sailfish numbers that come through this time of year. The Allure II has hosted trips of 100 or more sailfish releases in every calendar month that we fish.
The hallmark of this time of year lies in variety and the consistency with which we deploy the rigged mackerel pitch baits and the 50-wides. You might imagine catching three or four blue marlin and 20 sailfish releases over the course of three days fishing, with the action punctuated by a few 80-to-100-pound yellowfin (can you say “boat lunch!”)
And if that weren’t enough, you might also imagine that the action takes place on seas that are blue, clear and as calm as a lake. It is pleasant, it is exciting, and it is really, really fun. It being so calm makes this a great time to bring kids and older folks, too.
So, When is the Best Time of Year to Fish Guatemala?
That really depends what you’re after—and how you’d like to stack your bet. We enjoy it all year. And we’d love to show you what it’s all about.
