Turneffe Flats Fishing

If you are like most of our guests, there are a number of factors you consider in deciding on a saltwater fishing destination. We want to make it easy for you to get as good a feel for Turneffe Flats as you can without actually having been here. Hopefully, this brief summary about the “Turneffe Flats experience” will be helpful.

The Setting: Thirty miles off the coast of Belize, Turneffe Flats is located on the Turneffe Atoll, the largest of only four coral reefs in the Western Hemisphere. The Turneffe Atoll is remote and strikingly beautiful with crystal clear waters alive with a wide diversity of marine life.

Fishing Overview: The Turneffe Atoll is noted for its variety of saltwater fly-fishing. Plentiful bonefish, permit and tarpon make Turneffe Flats one of the rare spots in the world where you have a legitimate shot at a Grand Slam. In addition, there are a number of other game fish resident to the area creating a unique diversity of saltwater fly fishing options.

Bonefish: Turneffe bonefish are plentiful, both on the ocean side flats and in the mangrove-lined lagoons. Bonefish are resident on the ocean side flats all months of the year. On an average day on the reef flats, any time of year, you will see and fish to hundreds of bonefish in the 3-5 pound range with shots at bigger fish, some over 10 pounds. These fish tend to be in large schools; however, there are ample singles and doubles if you are interested in more challenging casting. Bonefish on the inner flats and lagoons are not as numerous, but on average are larger.

Permit: Many anglers come to Turneffe Flats to pursue permit. Permit are plentiful and are found on the bars and flats throughout Turneffe. You can expect plenty of shots at 10-20 pound permit with some fish in the 30-40 pound class. Turneffe permit may be more plentiful than in other areas, but they are just as challenging to catch!

Tarpon: The tarpon migration is generally from late April through September although there are some resident tarpon around throughout the year. Most tarpon jumped are 60-90 pounds with some huge fish of 150 pounds or more. Most of our tarpon fishing is to rolling fish from the bow of our skiffs.

Other Game Fish: The ocean side flats abound with other species as do the lagoons, creeks and channels. Barracuda, jacks, mutton snapper, sharks, jack crevalle and cubera snapper are all available and add to the angling experience. We recommend that you come prepared to at least try for some of these other species during your stay.

Turneffe Guides: All of our guides are English-speaking Belizeans with extensive knowledge of all of the water we fish. Several have been guiding on the flats for more than three decades. They are accomplished boatmen and fly casters. They will gladly help you with the technical aspects of saltwater fly fishing if you desire assistance. Two anglers generally fish with each guide, although private boat/guide packages are available.

Proximity: Some of our best flats are located literally minutes away from the resort. As a result, long, rough boat rides aren’t necessary. We do fish the entire Atoll and some of the bars, creeks and lagoons may be a 30-40 minute run. The proximity of our fishing is such that it is very feasible to fish for tarpon and permit in the morning, for example, and boat to the ocean side flats for a full afternoon of bonefish. There is also a flat right outside the doors of our cabins that is home to a large school of bonefish and an occasional permit.

Fishing Schedule: An average fishing day at Turneffe Flats is about 8 hours; however, this is quite flexible. During tarpon season, many anglers opt to start shortly after sunrise and take a rest during the day. If you are a real hard core angler, you can wade the flats in front of the lodge early in the morning, go out with your guide for the day and come back to the lodge flats and fish until sundown.

Wading: The ocean side flats are firm bottomed and make for easy wading for even the most novice angler. Most of the inner flats are fished from the bow of our custom-built 16-foot Dolphin Super Skiffs poled by the guide.

Lodging: Our accommodations include eight large seaside guest rooms plus two large three-bedroom villas. Our seaside rooms have a panoramic view of the Caribbean and Turneffe Atoll reef. Our Reef Villa is located on the beach with a wonderful view of the reef. The Garden Villa is set back from the beach with a wonderful view as well. All rooms are air-conditioned and most are furnished with one queen size bed and one single bed. All rooms have private bathrooms.

Meals and Amenities: Three delicious meals per day feature a mixture of Belizean and International cuisine including seafood, beef, and pork dishes. Served family style in the main lodge, include fresh fruits and freshly baked breads and pastries. A comfortable lounging area and well-stocked bar in the main lodge provide a focal point for gathering in the evening. Limited wireless internet access and telephone service are available. We offer satellite television for those that don’t want to miss the big game or can’t live without seeing the evening news. A small exercise area with an elliptical trainer, bowflex machine and exercise bicycle as well as conference facilities are also available.

Other Activities: Sightseeing, superb snorkeling and SCUBA diving are other reasons people visit Turneffe Flats. You may want to set aside some time for snorkeling, and we do offer combination fishing and SCUBA diving packages. Our Atoll Adventure Package is very popular with non-fishing partners and offers a fully guided daily activity such as snorkeling, sightseeing, shelling, dolphin and manatee searches, or bird watching.

Getting to Turneffe Flats: Commercial flights will bring you to Belize City where we take over. You will be met at the airport, and transported to the marina where you will board our boat for a beautiful 90 minute ride to Turneffe Flats.