We’d been told that the best times for marlin in Panama were December/January and July/August. While I can’t say that a single trip is representative of a trend, this did indeed prove to be our best overall billfish visit, by a wide margin, on our January 2025 visit to SFPIL.

We started off our 2025 travel campaign with four and a half days at Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge – our first January visit. While we recognize that every trip is different, even on the same dates in back-to-back years, here are notes that might help you decide if January is the best time for your visit.