# Snook in Costa Rica: Record Fish on Both Coasts > Costa Rica has snook on both coasts: common and fat snook on the Caribbean, black and white snook on the Pacific, living around river mouths, estuaries and beaches. The Caribbean is best from about September to January, and both all-tackle world records for common snook and Pacific black snook come from Costa Rica. Source: https://sportfishing-costarica.com/snook-in-costa-rica/ Last checked: 2026-11-14 Species: Common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) and fat snook (C. parallelus) on the Caribbean; black snook (C. nigrescens) and white snook (C. viridis) on the Pacific Size: Common snook up to 140 cm (FishBase); Pacific black snook record 32.9 kg (2026, Costa Rica) Where: River mouths, estuaries, lagoons and surf on both coasts Best months (Caribbean): About September to January Eating: Good; up to 5 fish per trip may be landed for your own use Licence: INCOPESCA sport fishing licence ## What snook are Snook (róbalo in Spanish) are long, silvery fish with a sloping forehead, a big jutting lower jaw, two dorsal fins and a bold black line running along each side from the gill cover to the tail. They're ambush hunters that wait near structure in brackish water and strike at passing shrimp, crabs and small fish. Common snook start life as males and many turn into females as they grow, so the biggest fish are mostly females. Costa Rica has several species, and they split by coast: - **Common snook** (*Centropomus undecimalis*), Caribbean. FishBase lists a maximum of 140 cm and 24.3 kg. The IGFA all-tackle world record, 24.3 kg (53 lb 10 oz), was caught at Parismina on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in 1978. - **Fat snook** (*Centropomus parallelus*), Caribbean. Smaller and deeper-bodied, known locally as calba, and caught in big numbers during its seasonal runs. - **Black snook** (*Centropomus nigrescens*), Pacific. MarViva's guide lists a maximum of 123 cm, but that's now out of date: in May 2026 an angler fishing near the mouth of the Parrita River caught a 32.9 kg (72 lb 9 oz) black snook, weighed at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos and recognised by the IGFA as the new all-tackle world record. - **White snook** (*Centropomus viridis*), Pacific. FishBase lists a maximum of 130 cm and 21.5 kg. ## Where to find them in Costa Rica On the [Caribbean](/caribbean/), the classic snook water is the same as the tarpon water: the river mouths, beaches, rivers and lagoons around Barra del Colorado, [Tortuguero](/tortuguero/) and Parismina. On the Pacific, snook live around river mouths, mangrove estuaries and surf beaches along the whole coast, from [Guanacaste](/guanacaste/) to the Osa Peninsula. The coast around Quepos and Parrita on the [central Pacific](/central-pacific/), where both the 2014 and 2026 black snook records were caught, is especially well known. ## Best months Snook are caught all year, and conditions such as rain, river levels and swell matter as much as the calendar. - **Caribbean:** Alberto Font, writing in The Tico Times, notes that snook are caught year-round, with a fat snook run from November through February. FishingBooker's month-by-month guide rates September and October among the best months for snook. Big common snook and the calba runs together make about September to January the best stretch. - **Pacific:** there's no settled peak in the sources we checked. Snook are caught in every season, and the 2026 record fish came in May. Ask local guides about river conditions before you go. See the [season chart](/species/) for the Caribbean pattern next to tarpon. ## How guides fish for them Snook fishing is close-range work from small boats or from shore. Common methods are: - **Casting** lures such as jigs, swimbaits and plugs along river mouths, mangrove edges, logs and rocks. - **Live bait**, such as sardines, mullet or shrimp. The Pacific record fish was caught by slow-trolling live sardines on circle hooks in about 4.6 m of water. - **Surf fishing** from the beach at river mouths, especially at dawn and dusk and on moving tides. - **Fly fishing** in the estuaries and on the flats. Snook have sharp gill covers that can cut line, so many anglers use a heavier fluorocarbon leader. Medium spinning tackle handles most fish, but big Caribbean and Pacific snook need stronger gear to pull them away from snags. ## The rules Snook aren't on Costa Rica's list of catch-and-release species, and we found no special sport-fishing size or bag limit for them. The general rules apply: the fisheries regulation (Decreto 36782, article 68) lets you land 5 fish per trip for your own use, selling sport catches is banned, and everyone fishing from a boat needs an INCOPESCA sport fishing licence (Ley 8436, article 75). Releasing the biggest snook, which are mostly breeding females, helps keep the fishery healthy; keep a smaller one if you want to eat it. Fishing is banned in national parks and biological reserves, and wildlife refuges have their own rules, so check with your guide in places such as Tortuguero and Barra del Colorado. ## Eating quality Snook is a well-regarded food fish in Costa Rica, with white, mild, flaky flesh. ## Frequently asked questions ### Where can I catch snook in Costa Rica? On both coasts. Barra del Colorado, Tortuguero and Parismina are the classic Caribbean spots, and Pacific river mouths and estuaries, especially around Quepos and Parrita, produce big black snook. ### What is calba? Calba is the local name for fat snook, a smaller Caribbean snook that runs in large numbers, mainly from about November to February. ### Has Costa Rica produced world-record snook? Yes. The IGFA all-tackle record common snook was caught at Parismina in 1978, and the all-tackle record Pacific black snook, 32.9 kg, was caught near the Parrita River in 2026. ### Can I keep a snook? Yes, within the general limit of 5 fish per trip for your own use. Releasing the biggest fish, which are mostly breeding females, is good practice.