Los Cabos Billfish TournamentMarine Weather — Cabo San Lucas
The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament 2026 runs Oct 7–11, 2026 out of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Here is the zone-by-zone conditions outlook in the lead-up to tournament week.
Tournament Location
Three fishing days, three very different pieces of water — the harbour mouth at Land's End, the inshore-of-the-banks run, and the seamounts themselves. This page reads all three separately rather than giving one number for "Cabo". The live day-by-day GO / CAUTION / NO-GO cards are up top; here is the map, the context, and the latest one-line outlook for each zone.
San Jaime Bank
OffshoreSan Jaime Bank — the outer seamount off the Pacific side of the cape, roughly 20 nautical miles west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas and the furthest run of the tournament. Pan and zoom the chart, and switch layers to read the water.
Cabo San Lucas
22.870, -109.900
The harbour mouth at Land's End, where every boat starts and finishes and where the weigh-in scale waits at IGY Marina. The Pacific and the Sea of Cortez meet right here, so it can be glassy on one side of the point and lumpy on the other.
Light winds all weekend, but crossing swell creates awkward chop
Wind stays light (under 10 knots) and waves stay under 4 feet all three days, but a persistent SSW swell crossing the WNW-to-NW wind-wave direction creates a confused, uncomfortable sea state each day. Conditions are technically calm on paper, but the mismatched wave trains mean caution and careful timing are warranted rather than an unqualified go.
Cabo San Lucas — Friday, Sep 11 · CAUTION
Winds stay very light all day, generally under 6 knots from the WNW to NNW with gusts only reaching into the low teens by early afternoon, and seas hold around 3.5-3.8 feet at long 9-11 second periods from the SSW. Despite the calm numbers, this SSW swell crosses the WNW wind-wave direction for a good stretch of the day, producing a confused cross-sea where the two wave trains meet at odds - expect an awkward, occasionally uncomfortable motion with no single heading that smooths it out. Visibility is excellent at 10 miles, and this remains the most benign of the three days, but plan for that underlying chop, especially through midday.
Cabo San Lucas — Saturday, Sep 12 · CAUTION
Wind remains light in the morning (2-4 knots N to NNE) but builds through the afternoon to 8-9 knots from the SW to WSW with gusts up to 18 knots by 4:00-5:00 PM, still within the 'good' wind range but noticeably breezier than Friday. Waves run 3.1-3.5 feet at shortening 8-10 second periods from the SSW, and with wind-waves pushing in from the WNW to W during the afternoon, the SSW swell crosses that wind-driven chop for a long stretch of the day - roughly half the day sees this confused, jumbled sea state that can feel uncomfortable even though heights stay modest. Confidence in wave period is only moderate today, so some added chop beyond forecast is possible.
Cabo San Lucas — Sunday, Sep 13 · CAUTION
Winds are light through the morning (2-3 knots) and build only modestly into the afternoon, peaking near 8-9 knots from the SW with gusts to 17 knots between 4:00-5:00 PM, while waves stay the smallest of the three days at 3.0-3.2 feet with periods shortening from 9 to 8 seconds. The SSW swell continues to cross the WNW-to-NW wind-wave direction for a notable portion of the day, producing the same kind of confused, choppy cross-sea seen Friday and Saturday, and wave period confidence is lower today with some model divergence, adding a bit more uncertainty to how choppy it may actually feel. Overall the smallest wave heights of the weekend are offset by that persistent crossing pattern, so plan around the calmer morning hours.
Golden Gate Bank
22.980, -110.180
The nearer seamount, roughly 17 nautical miles west-northwest up the Pacific side. Upwelling over the structure stacks bait and holds striped marlin and tuna — often the call when the outside forecast is marginal.
Light winds all weekend, but Sat-Sun bring a confused cross-sea
Wind stays light (under 10 knots) across all three days with a well-organized SW swell dominating Friday, making it the pick of the window. Saturday and Sunday see the wind-wave field shift to WNW while the swell holds from the SW/WSW, creating a confused cross-sea for portions of each day that adds an awkward, uncomfortable motion even though wind and wave heights stay modest.
Golden Gate Bank — Friday, Sep 11 · GO
Friday is the standout day of the period with light 4-9 knot north to northwest winds (gusting to near 20 knots only briefly in the afternoon) and a clean, long-period 4-4.5 foot SW swell at 10-11 seconds throughout. Seas stay well-organized and comfortable all day with no conflicting wave trains, and visibility remains excellent. This is a straightforward GO day suitable for a full day on the water.
Golden Gate Bank — Saturday, Sep 12 · CAUTION
Saturday starts calm with light north winds and a lingering 9-10 second SW swell, but by afternoon a WNW wind-wave develops that crosses the SW/WSW swell, producing a confused cross-sea - two wave trains arriving from different directions that create an awkward, uncomfortable motion with no single comfortable heading. Winds stay light (under 10 knots) all day, so this isn't a dangerous setup, but the mixed seas roughly midday through early evening warrant caution and careful timing. Early morning hours before the cross-sea develops are your best bet.
Golden Gate Bank — Sunday, Sep 13 · CAUTION
Sunday brings another round of light winds (4-8 knots, NW to WNW) with a similar setup to Saturday: a WSW swell crosses a developing WNW wind-wave through the midday and afternoon hours, producing a confused cross-sea that makes for choppy, disorganized motion even though wave heights stay under 4 feet. Conditions improve markedly by evening as the wave trains realign, with 6:00 PM-11:00 PM actually posting the best scores of the entire forecast period. Plan around the midday cross-sea and favor morning or evening for the smoothest ride.
San Jaime Bank
22.720, -110.220
The outer bank, roughly 20 nautical miles west-southwest and the furthest committed run of the tournament. Fully exposed Pacific water, so weight swell period as heavily as height before committing a fishing day to it.
Light winds all weekend, but crossing swell/wind-wave creates choppy seas
Wind stays light (5-12 knots) and waves stay under 5 feet all three days, but a persistent SSW swell crossing a NW-to-WNW wind-wave sets up a confused, uncomfortable cross-sea for long stretches each day. Boats will be fine from a raw wind/wave-height standpoint, but the mismatched wave trains mean no single heading feels smooth, so caution is warranted rather than an outright GO.
San Jaime Bank — Friday, Sep 11 · CAUTION
Winds stay light all day, generally 5-10 knots from the N/NNW/NW with gusts up to 14 knots by evening, and seas hold near 4.1-4.5 feet at long 10-11 second periods from the SW. Despite these comfortable numbers, a steep wind-wave chop develops for about 5 hours and a confused cross-sea persists for roughly 11 hours as the NW-to-WNW wind-wave crosses the long-period SW swell, producing an awkward, uncomfortable motion with no single ideal heading. Best window is the early morning hours (12:00 AM-9:00 AM) when winds are lightest and the sea state is most settled; expect the ride to get choppier through the afternoon and evening as NW winds build toward 10 knots with gusts to 14 knots.
San Jaime Bank — Saturday, Sep 12 · CAUTION
Wind remains light-to-moderate, 7-12 knots from the NW/NNW/WNW with gusts reaching 16 knots, and waves sit around 4.0-4.3 feet at 8-9 second periods, shifting from SW to WSW late in the day. This is the choppiest day of the stretch, with a confused cross-sea running nearly the entire 24 hours and a steep wind-wave chop for about 4 hours, as the SSW swell and NW wind-wave cross paths and create an uncomfortable, jumbled motion with no clean heading to settle into. The best lull is midday (roughly 11:00 AM-1:00 PM) when winds ease to 7-8 knots, though the cross-sea pattern doesn't fully disappear even then.
San Jaime Bank — Sunday, Sep 13 · CAUTION
Winds stay light, 8-12 knots from the NW/NNW with gusts up to 17 knots overnight into early morning, easing to 8-9 knots by afternoon, while seas run 3.9-4.4 feet at a steady 8-second period from the WSW/SW. A confused cross-sea lingers for about 11 hours as the SSW swell crosses the NW wind-wave, giving an uneven, uncomfortable ride during that stretch even though wind and wave heights themselves are manageable. Conditions improve markedly by evening, with the 8:00 PM-11:00 PM window standing out as the best of the whole forecast thanks to light 8 knots NW wind and a more settled 4.0 foot WSW sea.
The AI fishing report for the Cabo banks
Weather tells you whether you can go. DeepCast reads the SST breaks, chlorophyll edges, and bottom structure for the exact waters the fleet fishes — inshore, midshore, and offshore — and turns them into a plain-English fishing report, the same AI reports built into the SeaLegs AI app.
Get the AI-powered fishing reportAbout the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament
- DatesOct 7–11, 2026
- Host portCabo San Lucas, Mexico — IGY Marina Cabo San Lucas (weigh-ins) and Playa Grande Resort (registration and awards)
- The runOut of Cabo San Lucas to the Pacific banks — Golden Gate (~17 nm WNW) and San Jaime (~20 nm WSW)
- Target speciesblue, black and striped marlin, plus yellowfin tuna, dorado and wahoo
The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is the event that opens the Cabo big-game season — now in its 28th year, fished out of Cabo San Lucas with weigh-ins at IGY Marina and registration and awards at the Playa Grande Resort. It runs the week before Bisbee's Los Cabos Offshore and two weeks before the Black & Blue, so it is the first read on how the season's water is setting up.
Boats fish blue, black and striped marlin alongside a gamefish jackpot for yellowfin tuna, dorado and wahoo, working out from Land's End to the Pacific seamounts — the Golden Gate and San Jaime banks. Because those grounds sit at very different distances and exposures, this page reads conditions across three zones at once, each with a plain GO, CAUTION, or NO-GO call, updated every morning from the latest marine model data — the same AI rating used in the SeaLegs AI app.
Reading the run from Land's End to the banks
Cabo sits at a meeting point, and that is the whole reason a single "Cabo forecast" misleads. Round Land's End and you cross from the sheltered Sea of Cortez side into open Pacific water — a morning that is flat in the bay can be a stiff, lumpy ride once you turn up the Pacific side toward the banks. Golden Gate at roughly 17 nautical miles is the shorter, more forgiving run; San Jaime at roughly 20 nautical miles west-southwest is fully exposed and is where a marginal day actually bites.
October is peak season but it is also the tail of the hurricane and tropical-storm season in the eastern Pacific, and a distant system can put a long southerly swell on the banks under a clear sky and a light breeze. That is why swell period matters as much as height here — a long-period groundswell rides very differently from short wind chop at the same reading, and it is the one that turns a 20-nautical-mile run home into a long afternoon. With only three fishing days, picking which day to commit to the outer bank is the real decision this board is built to support. It is a planning aid, not a substitute for the official marine forecast and warnings — always check those before you leave the dock.
Los Cabos Billfish Tournament forecast FAQ
What are the marine conditions at the Los Cabos offshore grounds today?
As of Sep 11, 2026: Cabo San Lucas / Land's End — CAUTION; Golden Gate Bank — GO; San Jaime Bank — CAUTION. Every rating is rebuilt each morning from the latest marine model data.
When and where is the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament?
The 2026 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament fishes October 8, 9 and 10 out of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Registration, the kickoff party and the captains meeting are the evening of October 7 at the Playa Grande Resort, weigh-ins are held daily at IGY Marina, and the awards banquet is October 11.
What species does the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament target?
Billfish are the headline — blue, black and striped marlin — with separate categories for most billfish releases and for the largest fish. There is also a gamefish jackpot covering yellowfin tuna, dorado and wahoo, so a boat that does not find a marlin can still weigh in.
Where does the fleet fish out of Cabo San Lucas?
Primarily the Pacific seamounts off the cape — Golden Gate Bank roughly 17 nautical miles west-northwest and San Jaime Bank roughly 20 nautical miles west-southwest. Both are upwelling structures that concentrate bait, which is why this page reads them separately from the harbour mouth at Land's End.
How does this tournament fit the rest of the Cabo season?
It opens it. The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament runs first, followed by Bisbee's Los Cabos Offshore in mid-October and Bisbee's Black & Blue from October 19 to 24, with the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot in early November. Conditions in early October are the first real read on how the season's water is setting up.
How often is this forecast updated?
The three-zone board is rebuilt every morning from the latest marine model data, and each SpotCast card refreshes live in your browser. The date stamp above the outlook shows exactly when it was last generated.
What do GO, CAUTION, and NO-GO mean?
GO means conditions are favorable for most recreational offshore boats. CAUTION means marginal — manageable for experienced crews in capable vessels, but check the wind, swell period, and timing closely. NO-GO means conditions are hazardous for small craft and the trip is best postponed.
Can I get a forecast and fishing report for my own numbers off Cabo?
Yes. In the free SeaLegs AI app you can drop a pin on any spot on Earth — your own bank numbers, the inshore drop, or the harbour mouth — and get the same AI-rated marine forecast, trip planning, and DeepCast AI fishing reports with SST breaks, chlorophyll edges, and structure.
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