The next time you head to Costa Rica, you may want to pack your fly rod. Costa Rica has more than a handful of rivers and lakes, that hold cold and warm water species. If you are in the La Fortuna area, you may want to wet a line in Lake Arenal. This is Costa Rica's largest lake and offers some good fishing on the fly and scenic views of volcan Arenal.
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| Toothy Macha |
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| A good fight on a 5wt or 6wt. |
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| Large male Guapote. |
Lake Arenal Facts
- Length: 30 kilometers. About 5 Kilometers wide.
- Depth: Up to 200 feet.
- Origin: Man made lake to create hydro power. Lake was made in the 1970's.
- Location: Principal town is La Fortuna, Cost Rica.
- How to get there: Most people fly into San Jose and then take a bus or rent a car. Depending on San Jose traffic, it could take 3-5 hours.
- Fishing Season: Year round. December and January can be a tad slower.
- DIY Option: There are places you could fish from the shore, but productivity is questionable. If you are adventurous, you could rent a kayak and search for good fishing spots.
- Guides: In the area, there a small handful of guides. I fished with, and highly recommend Captain Ron at http://arenalfishing.com/
- Licensed Required: None that I know of.
- Resident Species: Guapote and Machaca.
- Fly Rods: Single hand 5wt - 8wt. It can get windy on the lake.
- Fly Lines: WFF. +90% of the fish will take flies on the surface.
- Technical Fishing: Cast to the shore/weeds.
- Leaders-Tippets: 6.0 ft-7.5 ft 0X-1X.
- Flies: Gurglers with legs; Fat Albert; various poppers; Chernobyl Ant.
- Hook Size: Try various sizes #02 - #10.
DIY Global Fishing Trips
At FCFF, I am running a business, but sometimes I love DIY fishing with friends. If you want to fish with me on one of my personal DIY trips, let's talk.
Final Word
If you come to Costa Rica, chances are you'll make a stop in the La Fortuna and Lake/Volcan Arenal area. You'll find multiple tour packages such as rafting, ATV, hiking, horse rentals, canyoning, hot pools, water falls, canopy zip line, and lots more. Lodging options ranging from $ to $$$$. I stayed in town for $35 USD per night, with breakfast and views of the volcano included.
Adding a 1/2 day or full day fishing trip on lake Arenal might be a nice alternative to the ever popular tours, and crowds of tourist. I had the entire lake to myself and enjoyed every minute of it.
Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading.
Mark
At FCFF, I am running a business, but sometimes I love DIY fishing with friends. If you want to fish with me on one of my personal DIY trips, let's talk.
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| Throughout the year, you have only a 50% chance of seeing volcan Arenal. 100% chance of great day on a beautiful lake. |
Final Word
If you come to Costa Rica, chances are you'll make a stop in the La Fortuna and Lake/Volcan Arenal area. You'll find multiple tour packages such as rafting, ATV, hiking, horse rentals, canyoning, hot pools, water falls, canopy zip line, and lots more. Lodging options ranging from $ to $$$$. I stayed in town for $35 USD per night, with breakfast and views of the volcano included.
Adding a 1/2 day or full day fishing trip on lake Arenal might be a nice alternative to the ever popular tours, and crowds of tourist. I had the entire lake to myself and enjoyed every minute of it.
Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading.
Mark