Phuket has become a hotspot in Asia for sportfishing and Big Game fishing in the Andaman Sea. So it comes as no surprise that fishing enthusiasts, as well as tourists, come to Thailand's largest island in hopes of catching fish like sailfish, swordfish, marlin, dolphin fish, and wohoo.
One of the great things about Phuket is that fishing can be practiced, more or less, all year round, with some breaks around monsoon season. The monsoon season starts in May and lasts until August. During this time, the sea can get rough, with strong winds and heavy rain, which can happen unexpectedly and without any warning. However, this type of weather is ideal for catching some type of fish, like marlin.
If you're looking for the opportunity to catch fish like yellowfin tuna, dolphin fish, sailfish, marlin, and wahoo, they're at their peak from October to January in the Andaman Sea. Fishing for trevally is more ideal during March to April and from October to December, when there's an abundance of them.
Phuket Fishing Seasons and Fish Species | ||||||||||||
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Species/Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Yellowfin Tuna | ||||||||||||
Dolphin Fish | ||||||||||||
Mackerel Royal | ||||||||||||
Sailfish | ||||||||||||
Marlin | ||||||||||||
Wahoo | ||||||||||||
Trevally | ||||||||||||
Barracuda |
Very Good |
Good | Medium | Poor |
If you go to any fishing company or fishing charter in Phuket, most operators will offer to take you fishing to either Racha Yai or Racha Noi island. This is due to the currens streams in these areas attracting a lot of large fish like sailfish and wahoo, making it perfect for Big Game fishing. Even though Racha Yai, is a great spot for fishing, Racha Noi increases the opportunity for catching larger fish due to it being located even further out, in deeper waters.