The Flats
A Living
A Living
Fishery
Inside the protected Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve, miles of flats stay quiet, healthy, and wild.
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About Us
Owned and operated by guides, for anglers.
Inside the protected Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve, miles of flats stay quiet, healthy, and wild.
Explore the Fishery →
Sight-fish flats that hold permit, tarpon, and bonefish, guided by anglers who read the tide before it turns.
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Come in off the flats to a lodge built for recovery: open air, good food, quiet tide.
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Every trip includes bespoke guiding, oceanfront lodging, and a kitchen built around the day's catch. 2027 season rates below.
*Rates are per angler for a 7-night, 6-day trip. Airfare, gratuities, laundry service, and fishing gear are not included.
Ascension Bay Lodge sits on the beach in the small village of Punta Allen, Mexico. Completely rebuilt in 2021, the lodge offers six double-occupancy rooms on the shores of the Caribbean, private and secluded, with direct access to the famed flats of Ascension Bay.
Six large, comfortable double-occupancy rooms, each with a private ensuite bathroom: shower, sink, and toilet. Every room comes with 24/7 power, Starlink Wi-Fi, A/C, a ceiling fan, two comfortable beds, a desk and chair, a built-in closet, and windows that open to the sound of the Caribbean.
Breakfast and dinner are served in the lodge's dining room, with lunch out on the flats and appetizers waiting when you're back. Our in-house chefs cook with the flavors of the Yucatan, using fresh, local ingredients, from the day's catch to traditional dishes, with a different specialty prepared for every meal.
A full open bar and bartender are on hand to make your favorite cocktail after a day on the flats.
A large deck and spacious palapa for relaxing between sessions, and a large sandy recreation area with horseshoes and bocce ball.
A full open bar and bartender, with a spacious lounge and darts for winding down after a day on the water.
The Caribbean is just a few steps from the lodge. Catch the sunrise or sunset from a stretch of private beach.
Ascension Bay Lodge is supported by 6 lodge staff and 12 guides who grew up on the flats of Ascension Bay. At the helm of the lodge program is Ted Truglio, lodge manager and partner, who also co-owns Troutwater Fly Shop with Johnny Boitano. Ted partnered with Christian Cardenas to carry on the lodge’s guide-owned, guide-operated tradition.
See rates, trip lengths, and availability at Ascension Bay Lodge.
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Punta Allen and Ascension Bay are known the world over as the Permit Capital, and permit are the star of the show here. This is the epicenter of permit and flats fishing in the Caribbean, and every permit landed here is a genuine accomplishment, celebrated by angler and guide alike.
But look past the permit and you'll find some of the finest bonefish, tarpon, and snook water anywhere. Bonefish are an honest fish: present your fly properly and you'll be rewarded, which makes these flats one of the best classrooms in the sport. Juvenile tarpon and snook prowl the mangroves for heart-stopping sight-casting, and the migratory tarpon run has only gotten stronger over the past four or five seasons. Wind, weather, and tide decide the target on any given day, and that's part of the fun.
Our most popular package pairs seven nights of lodging with six days of guided fishing, shared room and shared boat (other pricing and packages are available). Each 23-foot panga carries two guides, a senior and a junior, so you're never on the water without experienced eyes. The lodge runs six guide teams a day: twelve guides, six boats.
Whether you're on foot or in the boat comes down to fitness, ability, conditions, and the fish in front of you. Walking the flats for bonefish is one of the great joys in this sport, and we get you out on foot whenever conditions allow. Juvenile tarpon and snook in the mangroves are mostly fished from the boat, while migratory tarpon are worked primarily from the boat but sometimes on the shallow flats, where wading in is its own thrill.
Spot a permit far enough from the boat and, water depth allowing, we'll get out and stalk it on foot, quieter and stealthier than working from the panga. In deeper water, we fish from the boat. Whatever approach your guide reads as the best shot, that's the plan.
Ascension Bay has something to offer whether this is your first flats trip or you're a seasoned permit hunter. The water here is vast, with plenty of different ways to spend a day, from walking the flats for bonefish to chasing 100-plus-pound tarpon. Need help with your cast or learning a proper double haul? Our guides are happy to help. Tell us what you're hoping to get out of the trip, and we'll build the days around it.
Anglers need to bring their own gear: rods, reels, saltwater lines, leader, tippet, and flies are a must. We're working toward a rental program, rods/reels/line combos, and a small retail shop at the lodge for the 2028 season. Need help getting outfitted for your week at Ascension Bay Lodge? Troutwater Fly Shop will walk you through the gear list and help you get outfitted for your trip.
That's genuinely our answer every time we're asked. Every season has something to offer, and conditions, not the calendar, are what really move the needle.
Year-round. Wind, weather, and tide shape the strategy and where we look for them each day.
April through August is prime time for the migratory run, some of the best tarpon fishing anywhere.
Year-round. Reliable action whatever the conditions are.
The day starts at 6:00am with coffee, breakfast at 7:00am, and boats by 8:00am, a full day on the water with lunch out on the flats. We're back at the lodge around 4:00pm, where Mexican and Mayan appetizers, cold margaritas, and chelas (beers) are waiting.
Our guide program is led by Christian Cardenas, born and raised in Punta Allen, who has been guiding the flats of Ascension Bay for almost twenty years. His ability to teach and communicate, with anglers and guides alike, is second to none. The guide staff's drive to keep learning, growing, and testing new techniques, flies, and equipment is what sets this program apart.
Every permit, tarpon, and bonefish is caught and released. A barracuda or snapper might make it onto the dinner plate or a ceviche platter, but the flats species stay in the water for the next angler. Fishing licenses and permits are included in the trip price: nothing extra to arrange before you arrive.
See rates, trip lengths, and availability at Ascension Bay Lodge.
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Ascension Bay Lodge sits in Punta Allen, Mexico, a small, quiet fishing and lobster village about 100 miles south of the Cancún airport, in the southern Yucatán and worlds away from the resorts of the Mayan Riviera. Punta Allen is the main town inside the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, in one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse regions on earth.
Sian Ka'an means "where the sky is born" in Mayan, a fitting name for a 1.3-million-acre protected coastal paradise established in January 1986 to safeguard the region's biodiversity, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, and its ancient Mayan heritage. It's the third-largest protected natural area in Mexico and the largest protected coastal area in the country, built around improving the relationship between people and the land they live on.
The reef running along its edge is the second-largest barrier reef system in the world. Inland, tropical forest is home to jaguar, puma, and ocelot alongside more than 300 species of birds; offshore, manatee, sea turtles, dolphins, and hundreds of fish species share the water.
Even on a day built around permit and bonefish, keep an eye out: manatee, dolphins, and sea turtles are common sights on the water, and with more than 300 bird species recorded in the biosphere, it's a bucket-list stop for birders too.
A non-fishing companion won't run out of things to do. In and around Punta Allen there's the town itself to explore, along with the lagoons and beach. Daily eco-tours cover the area, with snorkeling out on the reef and guided bird-watching. There are Mayan ruins and cenotes nearby, and the better-known ruins and cenotes around Tulum are just a short trip up the coast.
Punta Allen is a welcoming, laid-back beach town at heart. A handful of restaurants and bars serve up cold beer and excellent seafood, especially good during lobster season, with a friendly, unhurried pace that's easy to fall into between days on the water.
Coastal Mexico runs on a dry season and a rainy season more than four distinct ones. November through April is dry; May through October is rainy, with October typically the wettest month. Expect mild days in the 70s and 80s from November through February, 80s from March through May, and the mid-80s to low 90s, with the year's highest humidity, from June through August, before things start to cool off again in September and October.
What does that mean for fishing? Not much. The fish are always here: where they're holding shifts with wind direction, tide, and migration, not the season on the calendar.
Much of what makes this area special threads through everything above: Mayan culture, the cenotes, the ocean, and the local cuisine. What you can always count on in Punta Allen is a cold beer, friendly locals, and outstanding Mexican seafood.
As the saying goes around town, "Punta Allen is where the wanted and unwanted go," which makes for one of the most fun, unpretentious cultures you'll find anywhere.
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Answers to the questions guests ask most before booking a week at Ascension Bay Lodge.
Included in your trip package is round-trip transportation from Cancún or Tulum International Airports to the lodge. Transport vans meet you at either airport and take you to the visitor center south of Tulum, where boats carry you the rest of the way to the lodge. Staying in Cancún or Tulum the night before? No problem: the vans will bring you to your hotel and pick you up Saturday morning for the boat transfer.
Included: 7 nights at the lodge, 6 full days of guided fishing, 3 meals a day, daily cocktails and appetizers, round-trip ground and water transportation from Cancún or Tulum airports, Starlink WiFi, fishing license, Mexican VAT tax, and a full-time lodge staff (two chefs, a bartender, maintenance, housekeeping, and a local lodge host) plus an open bar.
Not Included: airfare, gratuities for lodge and guide staff, laundry service, and fishing gear.
Our most popular and recommended package is 7 nights lodging and 6 days of guided fishing. We operate on a Saturday-to-Saturday schedule: arrival Saturday afternoon, departure the following Saturday morning. Call or email for additional package options.
We're available by email, phone, or through the website to help throughout booking. Ascension Bay Lodge has partnered with Troutwater Fly Shop for customer service, bookings, and gear sales. Travel and medical evacuation insurance is strongly recommended.
We offer everything from single and double occupancy to full group bookings and complete lodge buyouts for the week. The lodge has 6 double-occupancy rooms and can host up to 12 guests. Call or email to talk through hosting, fly shop, and trip packages for your group.
You'll receive a full trip overview along with a packing and gear list at booking.
Weather varies by season. See the Area page for a fuller look at what to expect throughout the year.
Punta Allen is a very safe place to visit, with no particular safety or health concerns. The one thing to watch is drinking water: avoid the tap water in Mexico. The lodge provides filtered drinking water throughout the lodge and on the boats.
Mexico uses the peso, and USD is accepted almost everywhere, with plenty of chances to exchange money if you'd like pesos. Once you head past Tulum into the Sian Ka'an reserve, cards and ATMs become hard to find. Bring USD or pesos for use around Punta Allen. At the lodge, we prefer USD for tipping guides and staff. Recommended tipping amounts are included in your trip overview.
After an inquiry, we'll send over the trip policy documents through Brindlechute.
Everyone's welcome: all ages, skill levels, and angling experience. Just come ready to have a great time!
See rates, trip lengths, and availability at Ascension Bay Lodge.
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Ascension Bay Lodge isn't run by a large corporation or outside management company; it's owned and operated by the people who fish and guide these flats every day. That distinction shapes everything from the boats to the bar: decisions get made by anglers, for anglers.
Born and raised in Punta Allen, Christian has guided the flats of Ascension Bay for almost twenty years. He leads the lodge’s guide program as Guide Service Manager and Head Guide at Ascension Bay Lodge, alongside his partner Ted Truglio.
Ted co-owns Troutwater Fly Shop in Cle Elum, Washington, and partnered with Christian Cardenas to take over Ascension Bay Lodge, continuing its tradition as a famous, one-of-a-kind, guide-owned and operated flats lodge. A longtime trout and steelhead guide in Washington State, Ted brings that same customer first approach to the lodge. Troutwater handles bookings, customer service, trip planning, and gear sales for the lodge, so the same people who know the water are the ones you talk to before you ever step on a boat.
Johnny co-owns Troutwater Fly Shop, he serves as its Guide Service Manager and Head Guide. Johnny brings years of experience as a Fly Shop owner, guide service manager and guide to the program. Johnny has guided for trout and steelhead across Washington State. He hosts Troutwater Fly Shop weeks at Ascension Bay Lodge, connecting Troutwater’s Washington roots to the guide program here.
A longtime trout and steelhead guide at Troutwater Fly Shop in Washington State, Bennett is our go-to at the lodge: the ABL utility guy handling logistics, operations, and customer care so every stay runs smoothly from the moment you arrive.
Ascension Bay Lodge is supported by Troutwater Fly Shop of Cle Elum, Washington: the same team that handles booking, customer service, and gear sales, so the people who know the water are the ones you talk to before you ever step on a boat.
The property began in the 1980s as the first fishing lodge in Punta Allen, known as the Ascension Bay Bonefish Club, a flats destination enjoyed by anglers from across the globe. When the original owners closed the lodge in 2014, Daniel Marquez took over the lease and, together with his wife Mari, opened a new chapter under the name Ascension Bay Lodge. Daniel and Mari ran the lodge for several years, rebuilding it to its current stature in 2021.
With the family excited for new opportunities, Daniel and Mari passed the lodge on to Ted Truglio of Troutwater Fly Shop and Christian Cardenas, who continue the tradition of this famous, one-of-a-kind, guide owned and operated flats lodge.
See rates, trip lengths, and availability at Ascension Bay Lodge.
View Rates & Availability →Last updated: November 2026
Ascension Bay Lodge ("we," "us," or "the lodge") respects your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect through this website, how we use it, and who we share it with.
When you use the contact form on this site, we collect your name, email address, and phone number, along with any message you send us. If you sign up for our newsletter, we collect your email address. We do not collect payment or financial information through this website.
We use the information you provide to respond to your inquiries, help plan and book your trip, and, if you've subscribed, send occasional updates about the lodge. We do not sell your information to third parties.
Ascension Bay Lodge is supported by Troutwater Fly Shop, which handles bookings, customer service, and trip planning for the lodge. Information you submit through this site may be shared with Troutwater Fly Shop for these purposes. We also use the following third-party services to run this site:
This website does not currently use analytics, advertising, or tracking cookies.
We keep the information you submit only as long as needed to respond to you or process your trip, and we take reasonable steps to protect it. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we can't guarantee absolute security.
You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time using the link in any email we send, or by contacting us directly. To ask us to update or delete information you've submitted, reach out using the contact information below.
This website is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect information from children.
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent changes.
Questions about this policy or your information? Get in touch below.
Contact UsLast updated: November 2026
By using this website, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the site.
This website is operated by Ascension Bay Lodge, a fishing lodge in Mexico. Bookings, customer service, and trip planning are handled on the lodge's behalf by Troutwater Fly Shop.
This site is provided for the purpose of learning about Ascension Bay Lodge and inquiring about or booking a trip. You agree not to misuse the site — for example, by attempting to disrupt it, submitting false information through our forms, or using it for any unlawful purpose.
We work to keep the information on this site accurate, including rates, trip details, and availability, but details can change. Nothing on this site is a guarantee, and we'll confirm final trip details directly with you when you book.
The text, photos, and design on this site belong to Ascension Bay Lodge and may not be copied or reused without permission.
This site links to Troutwater Fly Shop and other third parties. We aren't responsible for the content or practices of sites we don't operate.
This site is provided "as is." To the extent allowed by law, Ascension Bay Lodge isn't liable for any damages arising from your use of the site. This section covers use of the website itself — trip-specific liability terms are covered on our Liability page.
We may update these terms from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent changes.
Questions about these terms? Get in touch below.
Contact UsLast updated: November 2026
Ascension Bay Lodge is committed to making this website usable by as many visitors as possible, including people who use assistive technology.
We've built this site with accessible text sizing, readable color contrast, and layouts that work across screen sizes, and we test that the site remains usable when navigating by keyboard or with a screen reader.
Accessibility is an ongoing effort. If you come across anything on this site that's difficult to use, we want to know about it so we can fix it.
If you have trouble accessing any part of this site, or have feedback on how we can improve it, get in touch below.
Contact UsLast updated: November 2026
A trip to Ascension Bay Lodge involves fishing, boating, and travel in a remote location. By booking a trip, you acknowledge and accept the risks that come with that.
Fishing, boat travel, and time outdoors carry inherent risks, including weather, water conditions, wildlife, and travel to a remote location. Guests participate at their own risk.
Weather, tides, and fish behavior are outside our control. We work hard to put guests on fish, but we can't guarantee catch results or specific conditions on any given trip.
We recommend all guests carry travel insurance that covers trip interruption, medical care, and emergency evacuation while traveling to and from the lodge.
Questions about trip liability or what's covered? Get in touch below.
Contact UsLast updated: November 2026
Our cancellation policy is still being finalized. For the most current information on deposits, rescheduling, and cancellations, please reach out to us directly before booking.
Get in touch and we'll walk you through the details.
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