Los Cabos Fishing Season 2026 — Month-by-Month Marlin, Tuna and Dorado Calendar

How the Los Cabos fishing year really works

The Los Cabos calendar is dictated by water temperature, not by tourism. Two ocean systems meet here: a cool, productive northern Pacific influence and a warm tropical East Pacific influence. The boundary between them moves north in summer and south in winter, and the migratory species follow that boundary almost month-by-month. IATTC Eastern Pacific Ocean stock assessments and NOAA oceanographic data confirm the pattern: where the sea-surface temperature crosses 23–25 °C, the marlin and tuna concentrate.

Practically, that means there is always something to catch — but the species you can realistically target on any given week varies. The table below is the operational truth used by Cabo charter fleets, cross-checked with public catch data from The Billfish Foundation's tag-and-release database.

The 2026 month-by-month table

Probability ratings: ★★★★★ = consistent daily action; ★★★★ = strong likelihood; ★★★ = present, hit-or-miss; ★★ = secondary; ★ = rare. "Boats out" reflects typical daily fleet count from the Cabo San Lucas marina.

January — the striped marlin month

January in Cabo is striped marlin season at its most concentrated. Schools of stripers feed on sardine bait balls roughly 8–15 miles off the Pacific side, particularly around the Golden Gate and Jaime banks. A good January day will raise 8–12 stripers in the spread; a great one will release 5+. Tackle is light (30w–50w), the bite is on bait-and-switch with live caballito, and water temps are at their coldest (~22 °C).

Trade-off: the Pacific side gets 3–6 ft NW swell most days. If you are prone to seasickness, fish the Sea of Cortez side (less marlin density but calmer water) or take a Scopolamine patch. The marina fleet is still mostly full, but tournament-grade sportfishers are typically available with less notice than in October.

February to March — the consistency window

February and March are the most under-rated months in the Los Cabos calendar. Striped marlin remain dense, water clears up after the December storms, and tourist traffic is moderate — not the New Year peak, not yet the spring break peak. Daily marlin numbers per boat are statistically the highest of the year on the Pacific side. Yellowfin tuna are still present in smaller schools, dorado are rare but possible, and the occasional early-arriving blue marlin shows by late March.

This is also when many of the working captains overhaul their gear. If you book through a reputable broker, you get fresh line, recently serviced reels and rested crews.

April to May — the transition

April is the calmest month of the year, period. NW swell drops, the Sea of Cortez side flattens to glass at first light, and the striped marlin school starts to spread out as water warms. Dorado return in fishable numbers by mid-May. Blue marlin make their first solid appearances. This is the sweet spot for visiting family groups: light tackle works on dorado, water is warm enough for a brief swim mid-trip, and the boats are not overbooked.

According to NOAA Fisheries SST archives, sea-surface temperatures cross 24 °C in early May — the trigger for blue marlin migration north into Mexican waters.

June to August — the big-fish summer

This is when Los Cabos earns its trophy reputation. Blue marlin density peaks on the Pacific side and at the Gordo Banks. Yellowfin tuna show in schools tracking porpoise (the famous "porpoise schools" — when you see dolphins boiling on bait, the tuna are underneath). Dorado are everywhere, often under floating debris ("paddies"). Wahoo start to creep in by late August.

The catch is the weather: August is hurricane watch season, and chubascos (afternoon thunderstorms from the south) become routine. Boats still run, but trip cancellations happen 1–2 days out of every 10. Book flexible dates if possible.

Tournament alert: the Bisbee's Los Cabos Offshore tournament runs late August — a useful warmup to the October Black & Blue.

September to October — the everything-at-once peak

If a single window were to be "the" Los Cabos season, it is the four weeks bracketing the Bisbee's Black & Blue tournament — typically the last week of October. Five-species days are common (striped marlin, blue marlin, yellowfin, dorado, wahoo). Water is warm (~28 °C), still relatively clear, and bait is everywhere.

The Bisbee's Black & Blue itself is a four-day tournament. In 2024 it paid out $11.6 million USD across 137 teams — the largest single payout in any sportfishing tournament that year. Tournament week sees 300+ working boats in the marina simultaneously. If you want to be in Cabo during this week as a spectator, book accommodation 9 months out. If you want to fish in October but not during tournament week, target the first two weeks of October instead.

The trade-off remains hurricane risk — September is statistically the most active month in the East Pacific basin. Track NHC bulletins from NOAA's National Hurricane Center in the 10 days before your trip.

November to December — wahoo, return of the striped marlin

November is one of the most balanced months. Striped marlin density rebuilds, wahoo bite stays strong through December, dorado are still around, and water is comfortable (~26 °C). The marina is busy through Thanksgiving (US holiday) then thins out until mid-December.

December sees the return of the NW Pacific swell. Striped marlin remain the headline. By Christmas week, Cabo prices spike (this is high-tourism week, not high-fishing week) — boats book solid but daily catch numbers are good. The first week of January is statistically the best fishing-to-tourism ratio of the year.

Sea state, weather and what "rough" means in practice

"Pacific rough" on this calendar means 4–6 ft NW swell with 8–10 second period — uncomfortable for the first hour offshore, manageable once the captain finds the right heading. Cruisers 32 ft and up handle it without issue; pangas should not be out in this. The Sea of Cortez side (Punta Gorda, Palmilla, San José del Cabo Marina) typically sees swells 50% lower than the Pacific side on the same day.

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 in the East Pacific basin per NOAA. In an average year, 2–3 named storms come within a 300-mile radius of Cabo. Most trips are not affected — but check NHC every day in the week leading up to your fishing days.

What changes month to month that nobody mentions

Beyond species, three operational variables shift on the calendar — and they affect comfort, success rate and budget:

• Departure time. December through February, captains delay departure to 6:30–7:00 AM (first light arrives later, and the run to grounds is into a head sea). July through October, departure moves to 5:30–6:00 AM to beat the afternoon chubascos.
• Live-bait availability. Caballito (the small mackerel used as live bait) is dense and easy to jig October through May. Summer months, the bait disappears at first light — captains either source it the night before or run to deeper rocks. A captain who guarantees live bait in August is either lying or very good.
• Tournament-driven pricing. Boat rates spike 30–50% above standard from October 15 to November 1 for the Bisbee's window. Mid-week trips outside that window in the same months run at standard pricing. Booking November 8–22 gets peak fishing at non-peak pricing.

Practical sea-sickness window: December to early March the Pacific side runs 4–6 ft swells consistently — bring patches or stay Sea-of-Cortez side. April to June is the calmest stretch. July onward, the swell direction shifts to southerly and the Sea of Cortez side starts to take swell too.

Hotel and boat booking lead times

The Cabo lodging market is bifurcated. Marina-district hotels (Tesoro, Hyatt Ziva, Bahia) book up fast in October. Corridor luxury (Esperanza, One&Only Palmilla, Chileno Bay) requires longer lead times for any holiday week. Honest minimums:

• Bisbee's week (Oct 17–25 approx.): 9 months ahead for both boat and hotel. Boats sell first; expect tournament fleet to take 60% of marina capacity.
• Thanksgiving week: 5 months ahead — strong US arrivals, less competition for boats.
• Christmas / New Year: 6 months — high-end hotels go first.
• Spring break (Feb–Mar): 3 months — younger crowd, boats are easy.
• Off-peak (May, early Dec, Sep): 4–6 weeks is enough; some last-minute deals exist.

For confirmed dates outside Bisbee's, AquaCore typically reserves boats within 60 days with no premium. For tournament dates, contact us 9+ months ahead.

How to choose your window

One-line summary by priority:

• Most fish per day: Oct 15 – Nov 15.
• Trophy blue marlin: Jul 15 – Sep 30.
• Striped marlin specialist: Jan 15 – Mar 15.
• Family-friendly mixed bag: Apr 15 – Jun 15.
• Lowest crowds: First two weeks of December, or May.
• Tournament spectator (Bisbee's): Oct 17–25, 2026 (confirm exact tournament dates with Bisbee's official site).

For multi-day trip planning that takes the calendar into account, see our 3-day tournament-style itinerary and the Los Cabos sport-fishing service page.

Related guides on AquaCore

• Los Cabos Sport Fishing — Species and Boats Guide
• Los Cabos vs Cabo Pulmo vs Mazatlán fishing
• Sport Fishing Progreso — seasons
• Los Cabos vs Cancún