Our big-picture guide to fishing San Felipe covers the how: the pangas, the shore spots, the multi-day trips, the prices. This post is the when. Because knowing how to fish San Felipe and knowing what month to fish San Felipe are two different problems.
The Sea of Cortez is called "the world's aquarium" for a reason. Over 800 species of fish live in it. But nobody catches all 800. You catch whatever is running the week you happen to be on the water, and that cycle is dictated almost entirely by water temperature.
Here is the calendar we give friends when they ask us what month to come down with rods in the truck.
The Core Cycle
Water temp in the northern Sea of Cortez cycles from around 62F in February to around 86F in August. That is a 24-degree swing, which is huge for fish behavior. Different species prefer different bands. Yellowtail love 65-72F water, which puts them in play during spring and late fall. Corvina prefer 70-78F, which makes late spring their peak. Grouper tolerate a wider band and stay on the bottom most of the year. Totoaba are around too, but they are catch-and-release only and we'll get to that.
The practical takeaway: the "best" month depends entirely on what you want to catch. There is no single best month. There is a best month for yellowtail, a best month for dorado, a best month for shrimp on the table. Plan around the species.
One more piece of context before the calendar: the northern Sea of Cortez behaves differently from the southern Sea of Cortez. Cabo gets tuna and marlin; we don't, not in meaningful numbers. What we get is the cold-water-loving jacks (yellowtail especially), the bottom fish, and summer visitors like dorado and roosters. Don't read a general Sea of Cortez article and assume it applies to San Felipe. We are the northern end, and the fishery reflects that.
Month-by-Month Breakdown
January. Water 60-62F. Cold and slow. Grouper is the most consistent target; they stay on the bottom and eat year-round. Sierra mackerel start showing late month. Shore fishing is tough in this water. If you can get on a panga, target bottom fish. Not the month for beginners or for people hoping to post photos of a big yellowtail.
February. Water 62-64F. Yellowtail start to show late in the month as the water creeps up. Sierra mackerel are everywhere. Shrimp season is winding down (it closes roughly end of February through spring). Multi-day offshore trips to Konsag and the Midriff Islands begin targeting early yellowtail. Cold mornings, warm afternoons.
March. Water 64-68F. Yellowtail bite kicks in for real. Sierra still around. Corvina start working the beaches as the water warms. This is when the pangeros get busy. Shore fishing from the malecon and the rocky points starts producing again. Shrimp season closes mid-month in most years.
April. Water 68-72F. Prime time for a lot of people. Yellowtail are on, corvina are on, grouper are on, weather is dry and warm without being miserable. Pangas are booking up; reserve ahead. Shore fishing produces. First choice month for us if we had to pick one.
May. Water 72-76F. Corvina peak. Yellowtail still around but starting to push deeper as the water heats. Grouper consistent. First dorado of the season start showing late month. Crowds thicker around Memorial Day weekend.
June. Water 76-80F. Transition. Yellowtail are moving deeper or north. Dorado showing more regularly. Corvina still available but tapering. Grouper good. Heat is starting to matter; morning trips only on shore.
July. Water 80-84F. Hot. Dorado are the main game, along with roosterfish and various inshore snapper. Panga trips shift to early morning departures to beat the heat. Shore fishing is basically a dawn-and-dusk activity at this point. Bring more water than you think you need.
August. Water 84-86F, the annual peak. Dorado, roosterfish, triggerfish, inshore snapper. Yellowtail are essentially gone from our waters; they'll be back in fall. This is a hard month on pangas because the sun is brutal by 10am. Fish it if you love the heat or you want dorado.
September. Water 82-85F, starting to drop. Dorado still strong. Yellowtail begin to trickle back late month as water cools. The Upper Gulf shrimp season typically opens in mid-October (exact date moves year to year with the fisheries council), so September is when the boats are prepping rather than delivering to the dock.
October. Water 76-80F and falling fast. Fall yellowtail run is on. Dorado tapering. Corvina come back into the mix. Weather is the best of the year: warm days, cool nights, low humidity. Our second-favorite month for fishing and our favorite month for everything else.
November. Water 70-74F. Yellowtail peak fall run. Corvina, sierra, grouper all available. Shrimp boats going hard. If you are down here in an RV or a rental and you like variety, this is one of the richest months on the water. Multi-day offshore trips are still running.
December. Water 64-68F. Yellowtail still around early month, slowing by Christmas. Sierra active. Grouper consistent. Shrimp season in full swing. Cooler nights mean better sleep in town if you're staying at one of the RV parks along the beach.
Target Species Profiles
Yellowtail (jurel). San Felipe's signature sportfish. February through May and October through December are prime. Fish in the 15-40 pound range are common, and they pull like freight trains. The best water is at Roca Consag (the island roughly 17 miles offshore) and the deeper banks north of there. Heavier gear matters with yellowtail; they will break light setups without trying.
Corvina. Beach and nearshore fish. March through June is peak. Sand lures, live bait, cut bait all work. Corvina are what most shore anglers go home with in spring. They're excellent eating too, maybe the best table fish of the bunch. Gulf corvina have seasonal spawning closures in some years; check the current regulations before you go.
Grouper (cabrilla, baqueta, gulf grouper). Bottom fish, year-round. Cabrilla and baqueta are the most common. Gulf grouper get big (50+ pounds) but size and bag limits apply. Jigs and live bait on the bottom is the standard approach. Not glamorous, but consistent.
Totoaba. CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY. Totoaba are endemic to the Sea of Cortez and critically endangered. They were nearly wiped out by illegal gillnetting for their swim bladders. Mexico lists them as protected. Killing one is a felony and carries real penalties. If you hook a totoaba, photograph it in the water and release it. Better plan: fish where you're not likely to hook one, and tell your captain up front you want to avoid them.
Sierra mackerel. Winter into spring. Fast, toothy, fun on light tackle. Great eating when fresh, mushy when frozen. Troll small spoons or cast jigs; they hit hard. A favorite of shore anglers who want action without needing a panga.
Dorado (mahi-mahi). Summer fish, roughly late June through October. Acrobatic, colorful, excellent on the grill. The problem is weather: fishing for dorado in August means being on a panga in 100F heat with no shade. Worth it for some people. Not for others.
Shrimp Season
Shrimp is its own category because shrimp is San Felipe identity. The shrimp boats are part of the town's skyline; the shrimp tacos are part of its food scene. The Upper Gulf season typically opens in mid-October (the exact date moves each year with the fisheries council) and runs through roughly March, depending on quotas and weather.
The boats go out at night. They come back at dawn. If you are in town between mid-October and the end of the year, fresh-off-the-boat shrimp at the local market runs about $8-12 per pound for large blue or white shrimp. That's the same shrimp that costs $20+ per pound at a U.S. grocery store, a day or two fresher, and nobody froze it. It is one of the real perks of being here during the season.
Regulation Notes That Matter
- Totoaba: catch-and-release only. Protected under CITES and Mexican law. Take this seriously.
- Mexican fishing license required for anyone 16 or older fishing from a boat. Around $28 for a week, $57 for a year. Buy online through CONAPESCA or at sportfishing shops in town before your trip. Shore fishing generally does not require a license, but on a panga you need one.
- Size minimums apply. Vermilion rockfish and gulf grouper typically have minimum lengths (usually around 20 inches). Check current rules with your captain.
- Gulf corvina has spawning closures in some years, usually in spring. Rules change. Ask before you fish.
- Daily bag limits exist. The general rule: take what you will eat. Rangers do check, especially at the boat ramps.
Panga Captains: How to Pick
Panga rates in San Felipe sit on the friendlier end of Baja. A half-day shared among three or four anglers typically runs $200-350 for the boat, with full days at $350-500. Independent pangeros at the low end, established sportfishing operations (Tony Reyes, San Felipe Sportfishing, the malecon cooperative) at the high end. What varies more than the price is the captain.
Captains who specialize in yellowtail fish differently than captains who specialize in bottom fish. Some know Roca Consag cold; others know the inshore reefs better. Book through the pangeros cooperative at the malecon, or ask at your hotel or RV park for a recommendation. Tell the captain what you want to catch. If they say "we'll see what bites," that's a general-purpose answer. If they say "this time of year we run out to the banks and jig for yellowtail," that's a specialist answer. The specialist answer is usually the one you want.
Gear You Actually Need
You can bring your own rods or rent from the captains. Either works. If you bring your own, 20-30 lb spinning gear covers most species. Go heavier (40-50 lb conventional, jigging setup) if you're targeting yellowtail at the banks. Captains usually include bait in the trip price, but confirm when you book.
Shore anglers can get by with a medium spinning rod, 15-20 lb line, and a small box of lures and cut bait from the local tackle shop. Nothing fancy. The fish are not picky.
A few things worth having regardless of what month you come: polarized sunglasses (the glare off the Sea of Cortez is brutal), a wide-brim hat, real sunscreen and a long-sleeve sun shirt, a small cooler with ice, and cash pesos for the captain's tip. Credit cards don't come up much at the dock. Tips of $20-40 per angler for a good trip are the norm.
Our Pick for Best Month
April. Every time. Water is warming into the 70s, yellowtail and corvina are both active, grouper are consistent, the crowds haven't peaked yet, and the weather is dry and warm without being hot. If you can only come down once a year and you care about fishing, come in April.
Second choice: late October. The fall yellowtail run is on, the water is cooling from summer, and the weather is honestly the best of the year. If your schedule rules out spring, put late October on the calendar and don't look back. And if you want the full how-to on pangas, shore spots, and multi-day trips to go with this calendar, the main San Felipe fishing guide is the companion piece to this one.