Best Bonefishing in The Bahamas

South Andros Island
There are few countries in the world so connected to a single fish species. The U.S., for instance, isn’t just about small inland trout: it has salmon and steelhead from Alaska down the Pacific Coast

It’s farm ponds choked with smallies in the Midwest; stripers in the Northeast; tailing redfish in brackish Carolinas’ tidewaters; and it’s a collection of supercharged pelagics from the Everglades to the Florida Keys. But when someone mentions the Bahamas, one fish comes to mind: bonefish.

The Bahamas has been synonymous with bonefish since anglers first began seriously exploring its waters, with fly rods, in the 1950s and ’60s. What those pioneering fly fishers found was a skeletal island archipelago, stretching more than 500 miles under azure-blue skies and over an emerald-green Atlantic Ocean.

Best Bonefishing Lodges in The Bahamas

The northern end of the chain starts about 75 miles offshore of West Palm Beach, Florida, with Grand Bahama Island. Great Abaco lies just to the east. And scattered southward you’ll find the resort-choked hub of Nassau, followed by a string of laidback southward sprawling “out islands,” beginning with Andros and picking up Eleuthera, Cat, Long, Crooked, and Acklins—to name a few.

All told, the Bahamas has more than 700 islands and thousands of cays. Its total land area is somewhere around 5,000 square miles. More importantly, it also has more than 70,000 square miles of prime skiff- and wade-friendly habitat, home to one of the most robust bonefish populations on earth.

So finding bonefish in the Bahamas isn’t all that difficult. And pinpointing a place to begin your next adventure is often the tougher task. Truth be told, there are myriad options—from rustic, DIY operations to more opulent digs—spread throughout this tropical nation. But when it comes to a higher overall experience, one defined by immaculate accommodations, spectacular dining, and convenient, guided access to unrivaled bonefish flats, Nervous Waters brings two formidable considerations to the menu.

Bahamas Bonefishing Trips

Andros Island is the largest landmass in the Bahamas archipelago. In addition to having the world’s greatest collection of blue holes—deep marine caverns popular with divers—it’s a premier destination for anglers targeting trophy bones that can (and do) push into the 8 to 10+ pound class. Bair’s Lodge, a bona fide bonefishing institution that’s been in business since the ’80s, sits on the southeastern end of South Andros Island. Home to elaborate creek systems and the famous South and West End flats, the area offers endless opportunities to explore unpressured waters and stalk tailing bones from the bow of a flats skiff or on foot.

Accessing some of the best bonefishing in the Bahamas is as simple as booking a ticket and getting here. Nervous Waters invites you to experience the captivating nature of the place and the fish it’s famous for. After all, the Bahamas is bonefish.

Best Bonefishing Lodges

Bahamas – No Visa is required for US citizens, Canadian and UK passengers. You will need a valid Passport, 2 blank pages and a copy of your return ticket to enter the Bahamas. If you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever, the government of The Bahamas requires proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination.

All of our destinations require a fishing license. We will ask you for the necessary information so that we can get the Fishing License prior to your arrival.

Prior to your arrival we will be sending you information on the fishing program including a recommended packing list.

There are quality fly rods, reels and fly lines available at the Lodges for you to use if needed. Please advise us of your need for a rod/reel prior to arrival to ensure availability. A charge of $125 will be billed to you in the event a rental rod is broken (this covers the cost of shipping and repair). Flies and leaders are also available for purchase at the lodges.

For all our locations a lodge representative will meet you upon your arrival to the local airport holding a sign with the Lodge name so that you can identify them easily. If you are delayed or miss your flight, please let us know.