Baja California’s official 2026 sport fishing calendar lists 25 tournaments in six municipalities, with the next event scheduled for June 12 in San Felipe. The calendar, published by the state’s bajasport.fishing portal, covers offshore, kayak, surf, bass, and women’s fishing competitions running through November. It amounts to the most detailed public fishing schedule the state has released, and it doubles as a practical planning tool for anyone looking to fish Baja’s waters this year.
25 Events From San Felipe to Ensenada, January Through November
The 2026 calendar spans locations along both the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific coast. San Felipe, a small fishing town about 120 miles south of Mexicali on the Sea of Cortez, hosts several of the marquee events. Ensenada, San Quintín, Tecate, Mexicali, and the remote bay of San Luis Gonzaga also appear on the schedule.
Formats range widely. Kayak fishing stages draw solo anglers into sheltered bays. Surf-casting tournaments take place from the beach. Bass challenges move inland to freshwater reservoirs near Tecate and Mexicali. Two events are listed as women-only competitions, a format that has grown across Mexican fishing circuits over the past several years.
The nearest upcoming tournament is the International Tournament Dos Mares Baja California, set for June 12 and 13 in San Felipe. Later highlights include the Gonzaga Classic in October at Bahía San Luis Gonzaga and La Escollera Surf Fishing Tournament in Ensenada in November. Most events require advance registration, and several cap their participant numbers.
Baja California has hosted organized fishing tournaments since the 1950s, when early offshore competitions in Ensenada and the East Cape drew American anglers south. The state’s dual coastline, roughly 870 miles of Pacific shore and 620 miles of Sea of Cortez frontage, gives it access to species from yellowtail and dorado to white seabass and largemouth bass. That geographic advantage is central to how SEPESCA, the state’s fishing and aquaculture agency, markets Baja as a year-round angling destination.
Baja California Sport Fishing 2026 Permit Rules for Visitors
If you plan to fish from a boat anywhere in Mexican waters, you need a sport fishing permit. This applies whether you are in a tournament or fishing on your own. The rule comes from federal law, not local tournament organizers, and it applies to all foreign nationals.
SEPESCA’s website lists an online portal where individuals can purchase sport fishing permits. The permit covers the angler, not the vessel. Each person aboard a fishing boat who has a line in the water must carry one. Prices for individual permits have historically ranged from roughly 250 to 700 pesos (about $14 to $39 USD), depending on the permit duration: daily, weekly, monthly, or annual.
Shore fishing occupies a gray area that trips up visitors regularly. Mexican federal regulations generally require a permit for any sport fishing, but enforcement has historically focused on boat-based fishing. Tournament organizers for surf-casting events typically require proof of a valid permit as part of registration.
Catch limits also vary by species and by body of water. In the Sea of Cortez, for example, bag limits for popular species like dorado are typically five fish per day per angler. Some species carry total prohibitions during spawning seasons. Roosterfish must be released in many areas. Tournament rules often impose stricter limits than federal regulations, so participants should read event-specific guidelines carefully.
One rule that surprises many first-time visitors: commercial sale of sport-caught fish is illegal in Mexico. You can eat your catch. You cannot sell it. Tournament weigh-in fish are typically donated to local communities or released alive, depending on the event format.
Economic Impact on Coastal Towns Like San Felipe and San Quintín
San Felipe, population roughly 25,000, depends heavily on tourism tied to fishing and off-road events. A single tournament weekend can fill the town’s roughly 1,200 hotel rooms and pack its waterfront restaurants. San Quintín, about 190 miles south of Ensenada on the Pacific side, has built a growing reputation for yellowtail fishing and draws both Mexican and American anglers to its handful of fishing lodges.
The state government has framed the 25-tournament calendar as an economic development tool. Anglers spend on fuel, bait, ice, gear, lodging, food, boat services, and permits. Families often travel along. SEPESCA promotes sport fishing as a pillar of Baja’s coastal economy alongside commercial fishing and aquaculture.
For residents in fishing-dependent towns, the calendar provides a predictable schedule of high-traffic weekends. That predictability helps small businesses plan inventory, staffing, and pricing. It also helps visitors avoid arriving in a small town during a sold-out tournament weekend without a reservation.
The full 2026 calendar is available as a downloadable PDF at bajasport.fishing. The next event, the International Tournament Dos Mares in San Felipe, opens registration through the same portal. Source reporting from bajasport.fishing and SEPESCA.