How to Choose the Best Fishing Charter in Puerto Vallarta Based on the Month You're Going

Here's a question we get constantly at Fishing Rebels: "What's the best month to fish Puerto Vallarta?"

The honest answer is: it depends entirely on what you want to catch.

Puerto Vallarta has good fishing every single month of the year — that's not marketing, that's just geography. But the best fishing for any specific species is highly seasonal, and booking the wrong charter on the wrong month for the wrong fish is a rookie mistake you can avoid right now by reading this. fishing charter Puerto Vallarta by month

Best fishing charter Puerto Vallarta by month

Winter Months (December – February): Sailfish and Jack Crevalle Dominate

If your group is booking a January or February trip, congratulations — you're showing up for Sailfish season. These fish are rated Excellent during both months and they are everywhere in Banderas Bay. Fast, acrobatic, and absolutely spectacular on the surface, Sailfish are the perfect species for groups that want maximum action and don't necessarily care about meat fishing.

February adds Jack Crevalle at Excellent — a hard-fighting schooling fish that will wear out even experienced anglers. Snapper and Grouper are also biting in February if someone in your group wants to eat well that evening.

December sits at the back end of Sailfish season (Excellent rating) and Mahi Mahi are Good. It's a great month that often gets overlooked because everyone thinks summer is the only time to go.

Best charter for winter: A mid-size sportfishing boat targeting Sailfish in the bay. Half-day options work well in winter because the fish don't require long offshore runs.

Spring Months (March – May): Mahi Mahi, Tuna, and the Roosterfish Opportunity

Spring is the most underrated window in the Puerto Vallarta fishing calendar. The billfish crowds have thinned, the water is warming up, and the Dorado (Mahi Mahi) and Yellowfin Tuna are showing up in Good numbers.

Mahi Mahi are some of the most fun fish you can target on a sportfishing charter — they're colorful, they jump, they school, and they taste incredible. March through May keeps them consistently active. Yellowfin Tuna in the 40 to 100 pound range are also showing up during this window, and few things on the planet fight harder than a 60-pound Yellowfin.

Roosterfish start becoming a legitimate target in April and May on the inshore reefs. If you've never targeted Roosterfish, put it on the list — they look like something out of a comic book and they pull like a freight train.

Best charter for spring: A versatile offshore boat with live bait capability. Spring rewards anglers who are willing to adapt to where the bait is moving.

Summer Months (June – August): The Big League. All Day, Every Day.

Summer in Puerto Vallarta is when the fishing reaches an entirely different level. Marlin are at Peak. Giant Yellowfin Tuna are running. Sailfish are Excellent. This is full-send season.

June through August is when you book the biggest, fastest boat in the fleet and run offshore hard. The submarine canyon system off Puerto Vallarta concentrates baitfish and the predators that follow them into ambush setups that create multi-species days. It's not unusual to hook a Marlin in the morning, load up on Tuna midday, and finish with a Sailfish on the way back in.

If your group has experienced anglers who specifically want billfish — Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Striped Marlin — summer is non-negotiable. There is no better time.

Best charter for summer: A high-performance sportfishing vessel with a full fighting chair setup. Plan for a full day or longer — the fish are offshore and the action justifies the run.

Fall Months (September – November): The Best-Kept Secret in Puerto Vallarta

Fall is where savvy anglers find their edge. The summer crowds are gone, prices are more flexible, and the fishing is still phenomenal.

October is objectively the best month for Dorado (Mahi Mahi) — Excellent rating, the highest of the entire year. October Dorado are fat, chunky fish pushing into the 40 to 50 pound range. Roosterfish are Good and showing up consistently. Mahi Mahi are Good. It's a multi-species feast.

November brings Marlin back to Peak — the fall billfish run catches most anglers off guard. Snapper and Grouper are at Good during November, which means you can do a split day: morning offshore for Marlin, afternoon inshore for table fish.

Best charter for fall: A versatile sportfishing boat that can fish offshore in the morning and transition to inshore structure in the afternoon. Fall rewards flexibility.

The Fishing Rebels Difference: Right Boat, Right Month, Right Fish

Every boat in the Fishing Rebels fleet is built for a specific job. We don't put a family on a tournament boat and we don't put serious offshore anglers on an undersized vessel. When you book with us, we match your group to the right setup based on your target species, your experience level, and the month you're coming.

No matter what month you're visiting Puerto Vallarta, there are fish ready to eat at the end of your line. You just need to know which ones — and now you do.

Visit fishingrebels.com to book the right charter for your month. Tell us when you're coming and what you want to catch. We'll handle everything else.