Tilapia Fishing in Costa Rica
Sport Fishing for Tilapias in Costa Rica is a serious endeavor. You can mostly find them in calm, slow moving waters feeding along the bottom. The best places to go fishing for Tilapia in Costa Rica are lakes and lagoons like the Arenal Lake, Caņo Negro lagoon and other smaller bodies of water and in big pools in some rivers of Guanacaste and in the northern zone.
Tilapias are not endemic to Costa Rica as most people think, but they we’re brought from Africa for farming and eventually, as it always happens, some got away and established populations, that can be found all across the northern part of Costa Rica.
Tilapia fishing Costa Rica hotspots
Sport Fishing Tilapia in Costa Rica can be done in lakes and calm water pools
Tilapia fishing in Costa Rica
Fishing Tilapia in Costa Rica. Lake Arenal
Most Tilapia fishing in Costa Rica takes place in Lake Arenal, which has given these fish a wonderful natural environment for them to grow and spread. Although it’s not the #1 predator in the Area, sharing it’s water ways with Rainbow Bass, Machacas and Alligator Gar, these feisty fish are worthy adversaries both fore shore and boat fishing.
Most of the catches come from using deep cranks and jigs close to the bottom, non the less as with most fish, we’ve seen and catch them using surface lures like the Aborgast Jitterbug and SputterBuzz, which are also top lure for other species at dusk and dawn.
Tilapia fishing can also be done in several other bodies of water in the Guanacaste and Northern region of the country, were waters flow thru flat valleys and big, calm pools form. This is natural Tilapia habitat. Some places in Caņo Negro hold good stocks of tilapia, and the many farms along the Guanacaste province has made numbers of runaway Tilapias increase and establish local populations, known only to certain anglers, and yes, of course, our guides know these hotspots.
