Silver King Lodge

Still here, under new owners

Silver King Lodge has been a name in tarpon fishing for decades, and it's still open in 2026. The Tico Times reported in January 2026 that the lodge has been under new ownership since 2025, and the lodge's own site is current, with new photos posted in 2026 and free Starlink Wi-Fi for guests.

The basics haven't changed. The lodge sits on the bank of the Río Colorado, inside the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge, a huge area of rivers, lagoons and lowland rainforest near the Nicaraguan border. There's no road. You arrive by small plane or by boat.

Why tarpon

The lodge's pitch is simple: the Río Colorado holds a large population of resident tarpon that don't migrate, so there are fish near the lodge in every month. The lodge says its dock is about 5 minutes from the main fishing water, and that tarpon over 200 pounds are landed every year. The Tico Times put typical fish at 90 to 120 pounds.

The lodge calls February to mid-June and mid-August to the end of November its prime months. Heavy rain and rough seas at the river mouth can still cost you days, as they can anywhere on this coast. When the tarpon are slow, guides fish the river and lagoons for snook, tripletail, cubera snapper, jacks, rainbow bass, machaca and alligator gar. On calm days, boats can run offshore for tuna, Atlantic sailfish and wahoo.

The guides are local, and the lodge says they average more than 30 years on these waters. The Tico Times described the boats as custom 23 footers, usually with 2 anglers per boat.

What's included

Silver King runs as an all-inclusive. The lodge lists airport reception, ground and air transfers in the area, daily guided fishing, lodging, all meals, an open bar, daily laundry, rods and reels and Wi-Fi. The tackle shop carries Penn conventional gear, TFO fly rods and Tibor fly reels, plus lures, jigs and flies, so you don't need to fly with rod tubes.

The lodge

The cabins are large, about 450 square feet, with 2 or 3 queen beds, hot water, ceiling fans and air conditioning, under 12 foot wild cane ceilings. There's a pool, a hot tub and a sauna, massages on request, and a bar where the day's fights get replayed. Meals are buffet style, with local seafood alongside Costa Rican and American dishes.

Booking

Call the lodge on +1 800 610 1333 or +1 352 422 5214 (also on WhatsApp), or email william@silverkinglodge.com. For a wider look at the region, see our Caribbean section, and costaricajourneys.com has more on the lodge. Farther down the coast, the Manatus Hotel in Tortuguero offers fishing trips too.