Fishing in Maldives

The waters of the Maldives have a vast diversity and variety of aquatic life. Apart from the tourism, fishing in the Maldives is on of the primary economic industries in the country. The lagoons, the coral reefs and the ocean around the archipelago are home to many exciting fish species.

Reef Fishing

Reef fishing in the Maldives with cut bait can produce all kind of tropical bottom fish. Around the atolls and the coral reefs you can target grouper, snapper, jack, shark and sea bream for example.

Offshore Fishing

The archipelago lies on a vulcanic ridge that is orientated roughly from north to south. Sailing west and east the seafloor drops to deep areas, home to pelagic fish. Big game species such as blue marlin, black marlin, sailfish, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and skipjack pray on forage fish in the open ocean. Trolling is the most common offshore fishing technique in the Maldives.

Jigging & Popping

Jigging & popping in the Maldives are probably the most spectacular techniques. Giant trevally, bluefin trevally, queenfish and rainbow runner will take poppers over the reefs. Large jigs are also used to target them in deeper areas, near dropoffs for example. Here, you can also hook dogtooth tuna, yellowfin tuna, several tropical species of grouper, and humpback wrasse for example.

Fly fishing in the lagoons & beach fishing

The Maldives are a unique fly fishing destination. There's nothing more exciting than wading the the flats looking for a fish that is in casting range. Depending on the species you're targeting, you'll need 8 or 9wt gear for smaller fish, bigger fish such as GT require 10 or 12wt gear. Make sure your reel holds enough backing (200-250 meters).

Inshore fly fishing in the Maldives will produce tropical species such as indo-pacific permit, giant trevally, bonefish, triggerfish, jobfish, milkfish and bluefin trevally.

The Maldives has two distinct seasons, dry season with the northeast monsoon (January - April) and wet season with the southwest monsoon (May - November). Each season has different fishing conditions due to changes in currents, different visibility in the water, other water temperatures and changes in the amount of plankton.

The dry season (January - April)

In the dry season, the north east monsoon causes currents from the north east and the visibility in hte water improves on the eastern side of the islands. During the dry season the water temperature rises to 30°C and the billfish prefer to pray on forage fish in deeper waters.

The wet season (May - November)

Towards the end of April, early May, the south west monsoon starts to bring in relatively colder waters from the south. The underwater visibility in the west of the atolls during the south west monsoon is usually 10 to 15 meters.

This is a good time to fish for yellowfin tuna and other pelagic fish get closer to the drop-off.

Reef fishing is pretty stable all year round. Grouper, snapper, barracuda, trevally and pompano can be caught throughout the year in the Maldives.

Besides fishing, there are many things to do in Maldives: from a relaxing holiday to a trip full of adventure, there's tomething for everybody in the Maldives.

Known to be the perfect holiday and honeymoon spot, the Maldives are a great place for a walking tour in Male, snorkeling, windsurfing, kitesurfing and surfing. 

Another fun thing to do in the Maldives is visiting one of the many sand banks. A beautiful place in the middle of the Indian Ocean made of white sand and surrounded by pristine crystal clear water.

You don't need a fishing license for your fishing tour in the Maldives.

Depending on the charter fishing boat and on the duration of your fishing tour, you’ll pay more or less for the tour. The price for a private 4 hour Maldives fishing trip is 423€. An 8 hour private trip will cost you 1200€, depending on whether you are looking for inshore or offshore fishing.

What does the price include?

The price usually includes the captain, fishing tackle, fuel, bait & lures, taxes and fishing licenses. On every listing we indicate whether drinks and food are included.

Once you’ve made a booking, the captain will contact you to arrange the meeting point and the departure time. Also, we recommend you contact the captain a couple of days before the tour to confirm the weather forecast.