Driving into Lake Atitlan was amazing but hectic. It was 90-miles from the Mexico border and a full day of hard driving. The last stretch to the lake was a STEEP decline of switchbacks with locals making blind passes on the curves.
I bounced along the bumpy roads, dodging huge potholes and rolling over unmarked speed bumps, eventually landing near San Marcos La Laguna. The big lake is dotted with little towns. Some are connected by road but using the shuttle boats for transportation is far easier. Just hop on a dock and flag one down or wait for the next cheap boat to dock and pick up locals.
Camping and Fishing Lake Atitlan
My camp sat overlooking the lake on a grassy bench. A long row of stairs led down to the lake shore where I swam and fished the docks for small bass. The fishing in Lake Atitlan is not exceptional but watching locals hand line from dug out canoes is fun. I wouldn’t advise eating the fish as the lake has no outflow and it serves as the sewage dump for many of the villages. I worked the docks and any structure available and caught a handful of small bass. Nothing big enough to really bend a 6-weight but it was still a good time.
Beyond the fishing and daily walks to town, I managed a few good trail hikes through connecting villages. The stray dogs were rampant, always surrounding shale and I in packs while I beat them away with a big stick. The local natives would pick up rocks and pelt the strays to fend them off of us. One man even took the back of a machete to one. Different world down here.
Fly Fishing in Guatemala
Outside of Atitlan, I really wanted to fish the Pacific Coast. Guatemala has some of the best sailfish and marlin opportunities along with a host of other saltwater species. I contacted a few lodges and they were wonderful. One even offered to let me camp on their property. The day rates however were still way out of my budget and I decided to pass based on the long drive to the coast versus more accessible opportunities in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Why I’m Coming Back – I’ll be back to fly fish the pacific coast in Guatemala. Just need to buy a few more lotto tickets to make that one happen. The country is wonderful and I would love to hike a few more volcanoes here.
