Fishing Season Guide
Meta description: A month-by-month guide to Cabo San Lucas fishing seasons — marlin, dorado, tuna, and wahoo — and how to plan a charter with The Marlin Hunter around them.Cabo San Lucas sits where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez, giving it productive fishing grounds year-round — but which species are running best shifts through the year. Here's the general pattern, and how it lines up with a charter aboard The Marlin Hunter's fleet.
Winter (December–March)
Striped marlin is the headline catch, running strongest through these months. Yellowfin tuna stays active, and wahoo fishing holds up well. Water temperatures are cooler and calmer, which suits smaller or first-time groups — a good season for Mila Rose or Gaviota IX.
Spring (March–May)
A transition stretch — dorado starts building through May, roosterfish activate inshore, and wahoo picks up toward the end of the season. Striped marlin is still around from the winter run. Good variety for a group that isn't locked into one target species.
Summer (June–September)
The headline season. Blue and black marlin move in and peak through July and August, dorado becomes abundant and aggressive, and yellowfin tuna stays strong. This is generally the highest-demand stretch of the year for Cabo charters — worth booking ahead, and a strong fit for Decimal Dust's full-day all-inclusive format if a group wants a serious shot at big marlin.
Fall (October–November)
Often cited by local captains as the best all-around window — striped marlin returns as waters cool, while blue marlin, wahoo, tuna, and dorado are all still active from the summer run. This overlap is also why Cabo's biggest tournaments (Bisbee's Black & Blue among them) run in October. Good timing for a group that wants a shot at several species in one trip.
What this means for booking with The Marlin Hunter
- No fishing charter carries a published seasonal surcharge — the Charter Pricing page covers what's actually confirmed about rates.
- Species availability shifts with the season, but The Marlin Hunter's local crews adjust the day's plan to current conditions regardless of month.
- Share a target species and preferred timing when inquiring, and the team can match the season to the right boat and trip length.