What Fish Can You Catch in Curaçao?
Curaçao may be a small Caribbean island, but once you head offshore, there is a surprisingly large variety of fish to target. Deep water is found relatively close to the island, while offshore FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) create additional opportunities to encounter pelagic species. Depending on the season and conditions, a day aboard Speedy can produce anything from mahi-mahi and wahoo to yellowfin tuna — or even a sailfish or marlin.
So, what fish can you catch in Curaçao?
Here are some of the species we regularly encounter while fishing offshore.
Yellowfin Tuna (Buní Alfashi)
Yellowfin tuna are one of the main species we target around Curaçao and a favourite for good reason.
They're powerful fish. Once hooked, a yellowfin will often head deep and make you work for every metre of line you gain back.
Around the offshore FADs, we can also encounter smaller tuna species such as blackfin and skipjack tuna. FADs are widely used to concentrate tuna and other pelagic species, and yellowfin, skipjack, mahi-mahi, wahoo, billfish and rainbow runners are all species associated with this style of offshore fishing.
Wahoo (Mula)
Fast, aggressive and known for explosive runs, wahoo are one of Curaçao's classic offshore game fish.
They're a species we encounter throughout the year, although some periods are considerably stronger than others. The Curaçao season calendar you found rates wahoo fishing particularly highly from January through April and again from September through December.
Mahi-Mahi (Dradu)
Few offshore fish are as instantly recognisable as a mahi-mahi.
Their bright green, yellow and blue colours make them one of the most spectacular fish we encounter around Curaçao. They can also be aggressive feeders and exciting fighters, particularly when several fish appear around the boat.
Curaçao fishing calendars generally show particularly good mahi-mahi opportunities through spring and summer, although they can be encountered outside those peak periods as well.
White Marlin (Balau Baster)
White marlin are another billfish we encounter in Curaçao.
They're smaller than their blue cousins but no less exciting when one shows up behind the boat. Curaçao's published season data indicates stronger white marlin fishing particularly toward the latter part of the year.
Just like sailfish and blue marlin, white marlin are catch and release aboard Speedy.
Blue Marlin (Balau blou)
For many offshore anglers, blue marlin are the ultimate fish.
Curaçao's waters are home to blue marlin, and they're one of the billfish species we can encounter while trolling offshore. Curaçao-specific fishing calendars show opportunities throughout the year, with a particularly strong period around September through November.
There is never a guarantee of encountering one — that's part of big-game fishing — but knowing a blue marlin could appear in the spread is enough to keep everyone watching.
Blue marlin caught aboard Speedy are catch and release.
Sailfish (Balau Bela)
Then there are the billfish.
Sailfish are unmistakable once that huge dorsal fin appears. They're fast, acrobatic and one of the most exciting fish you can encounter offshore.
We recently had a particularly good week aboard Speedy, going 1/1 on sailfish on September 2 and 2/2 on September 4, 2026.
All sailfish aboard Speedy are catch and release.
Barracuda (Snoek/piku)
Barracuda are another familiar predator in Curaçao's waters.
With their long bodies, sharp teeth and aggressive strikes, there's no mistaking one when it comes to the boat. They aren't the primary target of every offshore trip, but they're certainly one of the species you may encounter while fishing around the island.
Rainbow Runner (Grastèlchi di Laman)
Rainbow runners don't always get the attention of tuna, wahoo or billfish, but they're another beautiful species we encounter offshore.
They're particularly associated with offshore structures and FADs, where different pelagic species congregate. International FAD guidance also identifies rainbow runner among species commonly caught around anchored FADs.
What else can you encounter?
That's still not everything.
While fishing offshore and around the FADs, we also encounter blackfin tuna, skipjack tuna, amberjack, different jacks, triggerfish and numerous baitfish.
And then there's one of the coolest sights offshore that doesn't involve a rod at all: flying fish launching from the water and gliding across the surface as the boat passes.
All of these smaller species are part of the ecosystem that makes fishing around Curaçao so interesting.
What is the best time to catch each species?
That's where it gets interesting.
You can fish offshore in Curaçao throughout the year, but the chances of encountering individual species change from month to month. Published Curaçao season calendars show clear differences between the stronger periods for tuna, mahi-mahi, wahoo, sailfish and marlin.
We're putting together a complete month-by-month guide showing when each of the major species is fair, good or excellent around Curaçao.
→ BEST TIME TO FISH IN CURAÇAO
What will you catch on your fishing trip?
That's the question everyone wants answered — and the one nobody can guarantee.
Conditions, currents, bait and fish movement change constantly. That's what makes fishing in Curacao exciting: every trip is different.
One morning might be about tuna around the FAD. Another could produce wahoo or mahi-mahi. And sometimes, a sailfish or marlin suddenly appears behind the boat.
Speedy offers private 4-, 6- and 8-hour offshore fishing charters in Curaçao, with a maximum of six guests.
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