Crossing the Border by Boat

Boating in foreign waters can be fun if you properly plan. Alan Jones

You can greatly expand your horizons by crossing the United States border at sea to fish in foreign waters, but make sure your boat is in tip-top shape. Bring tools and spare parts, and always carry an EPIRB or PLB, satellite devices that can summon help in an emergency. Here’s what else to consider. 

Heading to the Bahamas

When making a trip to the Bahamas, weather and sea conditions should be high on the list of concerns. Use apps like Windy to show the direction and intensity of the wind and currents. Up-to-date forecast information from NOAA’s National Weather Service is critical to help plan a safe crossing. Generally, any wind from the north is bad news because it clashes with the Gulf Stream, which travels north. Keep your return dates flexible to avoid bad calls because you have to get back.

Go online to click2clear.com or gooutdoorsbahamas.com to pay for licenses and fees before checking in at a customs office. 

In 2024, the Bahamas instituted a new $200 per person ­preprocessing fee for visitor permits, which makes short trips exorbitant. 

The cruising license fee is $150 for three months for boats up to 34 feet long or $300 for a three-month license for boats from 35 feet to 99 feet. Fishing licenses are needed for everyone on the boat, costing $20 per trip per person or $150 a year. 

Bahamas Cruising Tips

• Fly a yellow flag to show you haven’t cleared customs yet.
• Don’t fish on the way in.
• Make your first stop at a place with a customs office to check in. 
• Everything on the islands is expensive, so take as many supplies as you need and can ­safely carry. 
• All crew should have a current US passport.

Bahamian Fishing Regulations

• No more than six rods can be used at one time.
• Anglers can keep 60 pounds of demersal fish, like snapper and grouper, six legal-size conchs, 10 lobsters and 18 pelagic fish.  
• No sharks can be harvested.

Read Next: Stalking Bonefish in the Bahamas

Canada’s Pacific waters beckon US boating anglers, who need a US passport and British Columbia ­fishing license to fish. Alan Jones Fishing in Canada

Canada is a fantastic place to fish. Its fisheries on the Atlantic and Pacific are excellent, with less fishing pressure than US waters. US citizens can make trips up to 45 days long into Canadian waters without having to clear customs unless they dock at a Canadian port or set foot on shore. Anglers need Canadian fishing licenses to fish, though. On the West Coast, a British Columbia five-day license for an adult is $35.93, and a salmon stamp is $6.89. On the Atlantic side, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, St. John’s and Quebec provinces have their own license requirements, and some fisheries require a guide. Those who have been convicted of crimes, such as DUI, may be denied entry at the Canadian border, even if the offense is decades old. All crew should have current US passports. 

To clear customs, call the CBSA Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC) at 1-888-226-7277.

Going by Boat to Mexico

Mexico now requires a US passport for entry if you are setting foot on land, but having a passport card is acceptable if you stay on the water. You’ll ­also need an FMM permit, ­valid for up to 180 days but good for ­only one day. Those boating south of the border need a temporary import permit (TIP) for the boat, which must be applied for between 60 and seven days before the trip. The TIP’s online cost is $52.20, and there is also a $400 guarantee deposit for vessels newer than 2007, which is refundable when leaving Mexico. The boat driver also needs some form of competency document, such as a state boating education card or captain’s license. Everyone on board, regardless of age, must have a fishing license, which costs around $35 a week. A special permit with an ID bracelet is needed to fish in specially protected waters, like the Coronado Islands, called biospheres. In many cases, bag limits are more restrictive in Mexico than in US waters. Check the ­latest Mexican sport-fishing ­regulations ahead of time.

Clearing US Customs When Traveling by Boat 

Before departing the United States by pleasure boat or a small vessel to a foreign country, you must obtain clearance with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). A free mobile app called CBP Roam is the best option for reporting departures from and arrivals to US waters. Boats leaving or entering Florida can also call 1-800-432-1216 or 1-800-451-0393. When coming from Canada, one alternative to the in-person reporting requirement is the Canadian Border Boat Landing (I-68) Program, which allows certain applicants entering the United States by small boat to telephonically report their arrival to CBP without having to appear at a port of entry for an in-person inspection. The NEXUS Marine program is another way to clear customs without having a face-to-face inspection. Participants must apply through the federal Trusted Traveler Program (TTP), which requires a background check and an in-person interview like TSA PreCheck. 

Returning With Fish

Mexico allows those on a ­vessel to possess three times the ­daily bag limit, but filleted fish are not allowed, though you can gut them. There is no limit to the amount the US will allow, but it must be legally caught and declared for personal use using the California Declaration of Importation of Dead Fish and Wildlife form (DFW 901). Check the fish and game regulations for the state where you are returning because these may vary from federal regulations.

Anglers entering US waters from the Bahamas must follow the South Atlantic ­federal single-day vessel limits and per-person limits. Only ­mahi, wahoo and reef fish can be brought in as fillets. (Skin must be left on.)

Everything else must remain in whole condition. When transporting fish caught in the Bahamas, travel must be continuous, and all fishing gear must be stowed.

Fish brought in from Canada are subject to US regulations, and although filleted fish are acceptable, leave part of the skin on for identification purposes.

A complete list of requirements and rules would require many pages. Before any trip, more research is needed to avoid running afoul of the law. 

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