Puerto Rico · San Juan Metro
MAHI MAHI FISHING
IN SAN JUAN
San Juan is an outstanding destination for mahi mahi fishing, with peak season in January, February, March and good catches in June, July, August. Book a charter and target mahi mahi with local experts.
About Mahi Mahi Fishing in San Juan
Also called Dolphin or Dorado. Stunningly beautiful and acrobatic. Excellent eating.
Mahi Mahi — also called Dolphin or Dorado — are the most brilliantly colored fish in the ocean. Their iridescent body shimmers with electric blues, greens, and golds that literally change before your eyes. Males (called "bulls") develop a prominent flat forehead, while females ("cows") have a more rounded head profile. These fast-growing pelagic fish are found in blue water near floating debris, weed lines, and current edges. They are acrobatic fighters that tailwalk across the surface and make spectacular aerial leaps.
Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus
Mahi Mahi Seasonal Calendar — San Juan
Month-by-month availability for mahi mahi in San Juan, PR.
How to Catch Mahi Mahi in San Juan
Techniques & Bait
Trolling ballyhoo rigged with colorful duster/lure combinations along weed lines, current edges, and near floating debris is the classic technique. Once a school is located, stop the boat and pitch live pilchards, cut ballyhoo, or small live baits to the school — mahi travel in groups and multiple hookups are common. Casting light jigs, spoons, or fly-rod streamers to fish visible near floating objects is incredibly exciting. Keep one fish in the water next to the boat to hold the school in place while catching others.
Recommended Tackle
Medium spinning or conventional rod (6'6"-7 ft), 4000-5000 reel, 20-30 lb braid, 30-40 lb fluorocarbon leader. For trolling: 20-30 lb class conventional rigs. Mahi have sandpaper-like mouths — fluorocarbon leader works fine (no wire needed).
Best Deep Sea Fishing Fishing Spots in San Juan
Top spots where local captains target mahi mahi and other deep sea fishing species.
Puerto Rico Trench Drop-Off
The Puerto Rico Trench — the deepest point in the Atlantic at over 28,000 feet — begins remarkably close to San Juan's coast. The dramatic depth change concentrates blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, and yellowfin tuna along the shelf edge. San Juan is one of the premier blue marlin destinations in the world thanks to this proximity.
San Juan Seamounts
Underwater seamounts north of San Juan rise from deep Atlantic waters, creating current disruptions that aggregate baitfish, mahi-mahi, wahoo, and billfish. These deepwater features are reliable waypoints for charter captains trolling the bluewater grounds during peak season from April through October.
North Drop-Off
The North Drop-Off is the primary offshore trolling zone where San Juan's continental shelf plunges into deep Atlantic waters within 10-15 miles of shore. Blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, and mahi-mahi concentrate along current edges and temperature breaks over the drop. The short run to deep water is what makes San Juan fishing so extraordinary.
El Morro Canyon
El Morro Canyon is a submarine canyon northwest of San Juan where nutrient-rich upwelling along the canyon walls attracts a robust food chain topped by blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo. Charter boats troll the canyon edges from San Juan in half-day runs, making it one of the most accessible bluewater fisheries in the Caribbean.
Other Species in San Juan
More fish you can target while visiting San Juan.
Mahi Mahi Fishing in San Juan — FAQ
The peak months for Mahi Mahi fishing in San Juan are January, February, March, April, May, December. During these months, Mahi Mahi are most active and abundant in the San Juan area.
Mahi Mahi fishing charters in San Juan are typically deep sea fishing trips. Prices vary by trip duration and group size. Most charters include all gear, bait, licenses, and fish cleaning.
Trolling ballyhoo rigged with colorful duster/lure combinations along weed lines, current edges, and near floating debris is the classic technique. Once a school is located, stop the boat and pitch live pilchards, cut ballyhoo, or small live baits to the school — mahi travel in groups and multiple hookups are common. Casting light jigs, spoons, or fly-rod streamers to fish visible near floating objects is incredibly exciting. Keep one fish in the water next to the boat to hold the school in place while catching others.
No — when you book a charter in San Juan, your captain provides all required Puerto Rico fishing licenses as part of the trip.
Mahi Mahi regulations in Puerto Rico include minimum size limits and bag limits that vary by season. Your captain will know the current regulations and ensure compliance.
While targeting Mahi Mahi in San Juan, you may also catch Bonefish, King Mackerel, Mangrove Snapper, Yellowfin Tuna, Blue Marlin. Many charter trips target multiple species for the best action.
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