Rio Lagartos sits at the edge of some of the best inshore fishing on the Yucatán coast. The protected lagoon holds tarpon — sometimes in large schools — along with snook, jacks, permit, and occasional bonefish on the flats. The tarpon here are not trophy-sized by Caribbean standards, but they are hard fighters and the flat-water setting makes for excellent sight-fishing.
Several local captains offer fly fishing and spin fishing charters into the lagoon and along the barrier beach. Most operate year-round; tarpon are most active from April through October. The same boats that do flamingo tours can often arrange fishing excursions for the early morning, before the tourist traffic picks up.