Costa Rica & Panama chlorophyll chart
Satellite data from
Southern Costa Rica and western Panama on both coasts: on the Pacific side the Osa Peninsula, Golfo Dulce and the Gulf of Chiriquí with its islands, east to the Azuero Peninsula; on the Caribbean side Limón and Bocas del Toro.
How to read today’s Southern Central America chart
Work the colour line. Green water is productive and blue water is clean; bait stacks on the seam between them, and gamefish hunt that seam. The contours above trace the productivity edges so the line is something you can put a waypoint on.
The highest-percentage water offshore is where a chlorophyll edge lines up with a temperature break. Check this against the Southern Central America SST chart and start where they overlap.
Pair it with temperature
Chlorophyll shows you the food. Temperature shows you whether the conditions suit the fish you are after. See today’s Southern Central America SST chart →
Frequently asked
How often does the Southern Central America chlorophyll chart update?
The image is regenerated twice a day from the latest satellite chlorophyll data in the Catalysst app, rendered on a log scale and clipped to the coastline. The date shown is the date of the satellite data, which moves forward about once a day.
What area does the Southern Central America chlorophyll chart cover?
From 7.7°N to 10.3°N and 84.0°W to 80.0°W. Ports and landmarks on it include Golfito, Drake Bay, the Osa Peninsula, Golfo Dulce, Puerto Jiménez, the Gulf of Chiriquí, Boca Chica, Bocas del Toro, Limón, Dominical and the Azuero Peninsula.
Do you fish the green water or the blue water?
Neither — you fish the edge between them. Bait gets pushed against the clean-water line and predators hunt that seam. The highest-percentage water is where a chlorophyll edge stacks on top of a temperature break.
Why does chlorophyll matter if I already have SST?
Temperature tells you where conditions suit the predator; chlorophyll tells you where the food is. A break with no bait on it is just a line in the water.
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