Fishing with Kids in Costa Rica

The short answer

Costa Rica is one of the easiest places in the world to take children fishing. The water's warm, the inshore fish bite often, and you can be on a boat in a calm bay within an hour of most beach hotels. The trick is to keep it short and simple: a half-day inshore trip, a stocked trout pond in the hills or a quiet lake will make a better first memory than a long, rolling day offshore.

This page builds on the family section of our guide to planning a Costa Rica fishing trip. Here we go further: which trip suits which age, the rules that apply to children, life jackets and seasickness, the best places for families, and how to keep a young angler happy between bites.

Which trip suits which age

There's no legal minimum age for fishing in Costa Rica, but individual crews may set their own, so ask when you book. As a rough guide:

Most young children are happiest when something's always happening. Inshore fishing around rocks and islands for snapper, jacks, Pacific sierra mackerel and bonito gives them that. Offshore billfish trips mean hours of trolling for a few big chances, which suits teenagers far better than 6-year-olds.

The rules that apply to kids

Every child who fishes needs a licence

Costa Rican law requires a sport fishing licence for everyone who fishes, whatever their age. MarViva's summary of the fishing law says the crew and every tourist who fishes from a sportfishing boat needs one, and the regulation (Decree 36782, article 69) says the licence applies to every person "without age restriction". INCOPESCA even created a reduced licence for children taking part in kids' fishing tournaments, which shows how seriously it's applied.

The licence is easy to get. You can buy it online from INCOPESCA, or send your family's passport details to your crew and many will arrange short-term licences for everyone. Our step-by-step page on how to get a Costa Rica fishing licence walks through it. If a child is only along for the ride and won't hold a rod, ask the crew whether they need one.

What kids can keep

The same catch rules apply to everyone, and they make a good lesson for young anglers:

• Sailfish, marlin, roosterfish and tarpon go back in the water. Billfish can't be lifted into the boat for photos.
• A boat may land up to 5 fish per trip for eating, and sport-caught fish can never be sold.
• Most crews keep only what you'll eat and release the rest.

Watching a crew revive a fish and let it swim away is often the part children remember best. Our guide to conservation and catch and release explains why it matters.

Safety on the water

Life jackets

Ask about child-sized life jackets when you book, and check them before you leave the dock. Costa Rica's Coast Guard (Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas) says boats must carry enough life jackets in good condition for everyone aboard, kept where you can reach them, and that passengers should check the straps and buckles and make sure there are jackets for both adults and children. It also says life jackets must be worn whenever you're on an open-hull boat such as a panga.

For a toddler or a small child, many parents bring their own well-fitting jacket from home rather than rely on what's aboard. It's bulky, but it's the one thing on this page we'd never skip.

Sun and heat

The tropical sun on the water is strong even on cloudy days, and children burn and dehydrate faster than adults. Pick a boat with shade (a T-top or a cabin), bring hats with a neck flap, long-sleeved sun shirts and plenty of water, and plan to be back by lunchtime. Talk to your doctor about sunscreen for babies.

Seasickness

The CDC's travel guidance says children under 2 rarely get motion sickness, but it becomes more common as they grow, peaking between about ages 7 and 12. That's exactly the age when many families plan a first fishing trip, so it's worth planning for:

• Start with calm water. A sheltered bay or a gulf is far gentler than an open-ocean run.
• Keep them on deck, in the fresh air, looking at the horizon rather than a screen.
• Feed them lightly before the trip, and keep snacks and water handy.
• Talk to your doctor about medicine before you travel. The CDC says non-drug steps should come first, that antihistamines need care in children (try a test dose at home, since some kids react badly), that over-sedating young children can be dangerous, and that scopolamine patches should be avoided in children.

If someone does feel unwell, tell the captain early. On a half-day trip in a calm bay, heading back to the beach is easy.

Where to take kids fishing

Almost every coast has a calm option, but some are easier than others for families.

Guanacaste: calm bays near Liberia

The bays around Playas del Coco, Hermosa and Flamingo are close to Liberia's airport and often flat in the morning, so it's easy to fit a short trip into a beach holiday. From about December to March, strong winds blow across the north in the afternoons, so book early starts; our page on the Papagayo winds explains how they change the fishing. See our Guanacaste fishing guide for the towns and boats.

The Central Pacific: closest to San José

Herradura and Los Sueños are about an hour and a half from San José, which makes a family day trip possible without a long drive. Quepos, further south, has one of the country's biggest fleets and plenty of half-day inshore boats. Our Central Pacific fishing guide covers both, and fishing near San José has the closest options for a day out.

Sheltered water in the gulfs

The inner Gulf of Nicoya and the Golfo Dulce in the far south are both sheltered from the open Pacific swell, so they're kinder to small stomachs. See our pages on the Gulf of Nicoya and the Golfo Dulce.

Inland: trout farms and Lake Arenal

You don't have to go to sea at all. In the cool hills above San José, around Poás and along the Pan-American Highway over the Cerro de la Muerte, trout farms let you fish stocked ponds and pay for what you keep, and many will clean or cook the fish for you. For very young children it's hard to beat: the fish bite quickly, the walk is short and lunch is part of the deal. Lake Arenal, near La Fortuna, is another calm-water option with rainbow bass (guapote); see our page on guapote at Lake Arenal and our freshwater fishing guide.

Lodges where the rest of the family has plenty to do

On a longer trip, a lodge with other activities lets the keen anglers fish while everyone else does something different. Crocodile Bay at Puerto Jiménez, for example, runs its own fishing fleet and lists more than 20 eco-tours, from zip-lining and guided wildlife hikes to dolphin and whale watching. Our fishing lodges guide lists others zone by zone.

Keeping kids happy on the boat

A good day with children is less about the fish and more about the rhythm. A few things help:

• Tell the crew it's a family trip. Good captains will fish shallower, closer to shore and for whatever's biting, and let the kids reel.
• Bring things to do between bites: a hat to decorate, a bird or wildlife checklist, a camera of their own.
• Let them help. Many mates are happy to show children how to bait a hook, check a line or release a fish.
• Snacks, snacks, snacks. And plenty of water.
• Quit while they're having fun. A short, happy trip is better than a long one that ends in tears.

Look out for the wildlife, too. Dolphins often run alongside boats, sea turtles pop up to breathe, and seabirds dive on bait. Some crews will add a swim or snorkel stop if the water's calm.

Junior anglers and tournaments

If your teenager catches the bug, Costa Rica's tournaments welcome young anglers. The Tuna Thunder at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos had a Junior Angler category in its June 2025 edition, and the marina's general manager said more girls, boys and women join each year. In March 2026 the IGFA Open, also at Marina Pez Vela, named a top junior angler among its prizes. INCOPESCA has also approved a reduced licence for children who fish in kids' tournaments run by fishing groups. See our Costa Rica fishing tournaments guide for the calendar.

What to pack for a family fishing day

Our full list of what to bring on a Costa Rica fishing charter covers the basics. For children, add:

• A well-fitting life jacket if they're very small
• Hats with neck flaps, sun shirts and sunglasses with a strap
• More water and snacks than you think you'll need
• Any seasickness medicine your doctor recommends, given before you leave
• A towel and a dry change of clothes
• Water shoes, especially for beach launches where you wade out to the boat

And if the fish aren't biting, the beach is right there: tide pools, hermit crabs and a net to splash about with make a fine end to the day. For the rest of your trip planning, from airports to boats, see our complete planning guide.