Between the Famous Islands
Phang Nga Bay is one of the most photographed seascapes in Southeast Asia. The limestone karst formations — rising sheer from flat water, draped in jungle, reflected in the mirror-calm surface between them — are the backdrop of countless travel images. What those images rarely convey is the fishing.
The two Yao islands — Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai — sit in the centre of the bay, equidistant between Phuket's eastern coast and the Krabi mainland. They are overlooked by most Andaman tourism because they lack the beaches of Phi Phi and the bars of Phuket. They are small, quiet, largely Muslim fishing communities with excellent mangrove coastlines, clear bay water, and a light-tackle fishery that receives a fraction of the attention it deserves.
That overlooked quality is exactly what makes them interesting for an angler.
The Structure of the Bay
Phang Nga Bay's geology creates the fishing. The karst formations that make the bay scenic also create the underwater structure — rocky bases, submerged ledges, tidal channels that funnel current between the islands. The bay's relative shallowness (most of it is under 10 metres) concentrates fish in predictable areas and makes light-tackle approaches effective across a wide range of targets.
The mangrove fringe is the defining feature for inshore fishing. Both islands have substantial mangrove coverage on their protected eastern shores, and these systems are in better condition than most of the mangroves visible from the tourist ferries that pass through the bay on the way to James Bond Island. Less boat traffic, less human disturbance, and a stable tidal cycle create the conditions for barramundi and mangrove jack to hold year-round.
The open water between the islands and the surrounding karsts holds queenfish in predictable aggregations during the dry season. When the tide runs hard through the channels between the formations, predators stack up on the downstream side. This is structure fishing in its most literal form: work the shadow line where current meets calm water, and the queenfish will find your lure.
Phang Nga Bay is partly within the Ao Phang Nga National Marine Park. The park covers a large area and includes some no-take zones around particular formations and beach areas. For practical fishing purposes, local operators know the boundaries — this is another reason to go out with a guide rather than hiring a boat independently.
Species in Detail
Barramundi are the prize inshore target. The mangroves on Yao Yai's eastern coast in particular hold fish year-round. Sessions are typically conducted by longtail boat, easing into the mangrove channels at high tide to cast lures or live baits along the exposed root systems. Dawn and dusk are the productive windows. The fish here are not trophy-scale — a 3–4 kg barramundi is a good fish — but the setting makes any fish feel significant.
Mangrove jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus) occupy similar habitat but are more structure-oriented. They sit tight to the root masses and hold in any void or undercut they can find. Hard-body lures with a rattle, worked slowly past the mangrove edge, are the most consistent approach. They fight hard for their size and routinely test light gear by diving straight back into cover.
Queenfish (Scomberoides commersonnianus) are the open-water option. They school along current lines between the islands and respond furiously to surface lures and small metals. A surface-feeding queenfish school in Phang Nga Bay, with limestone towers in the background, is one of the more memorable scenes in Thai sport fishing. They are not large fish, but on 10–15 lb gear they account for themselves thoroughly.
Giant trevally are present in the bay in smaller sizes — juveniles and sub-adults holding around the rocky karst bases. A GT of 3–6 kg is realistic; anything larger would be notable. The bays around the southern tip of Yao Yai occasionally see larger fish moving through on tidal runs.
Grouper and snapper inhabit the deeper rocky structure. Simple bottom fishing with squid or live bait produces both, and some of the resident longtail operators know specific marks where larger grouper hold. This is less glamorous than surface lure fishing but often more productive by volume.
Kayak Fishing the Mangroves
One of the more distinctive options at Koh Yao is kayak fishing — paddling into the mangrove channels under your own power, reading the water, and casting to structure as you go. Several resorts and hire operators on both islands provide kayaks. A session that combines exploration of the bay's interior channels with opportunistic fishing for barramundi and jack is achievable and unique.
The caveat is navigation. The mangrove systems on both islands are genuinely intricate. Channels that look identical can lead in entirely different directions. Tidal timing matters — going deep into a mangrove on a falling tide risks a grounded kayak and a long wait. The first visit should be with a local guide who knows the channels.
A surface-feeding queenfish school in Phang Nga Bay, with limestone towers in the background, is one of the more memorable scenes in Thai sport fishing.
When to Come
November through April is the season. Phang Nga Bay's sheltered geography means it is calmer than the outer Andaman in most conditions, and some fishing is viable through the shoulder months of October and May. But for reliable access, settled water, and the best visibility for reading structure, the dry season months are the right choice.
The bay is particularly beautiful in the early dry season — December and January — when humidity is lower and the air is cooler. February and March see slightly more wind but are still productive.
May through September brings the southwest monsoon. The bay is partially sheltered but seas can be rough, and ferry schedules become unreliable. The Yao islands quiet dramatically — some accommodation closes or operates at minimal service. This is not a time to plan a fishing trip here unless you know the conditions and have flexibility.
Getting There
From Phuket: The most convenient approach. Regular passenger ferries run from Bang Rong Pier on Phuket's northeast coast. The crossing to Koh Yao Noi takes around 30 minutes. Bang Rong is about 40 minutes from Phuket airport by taxi. It is the most efficient route to the islands.
From Krabi: A speedboat or longtail from the Krabi mangrove area reaches Koh Yao in around 45–60 minutes, depending on vessel. This route is less frequently served by scheduled ferries and typically requires arranging private transport.
From Phang Nga town: Possible but rarely used by visitors — a longtail can be arranged from the Tha Dan pier area, taking around 90 minutes across the bay. More relevant for anglers who have been fishing the mainland Phang Nga area.
Where to Stay
Koh Yao Noi has seen meaningful boutique resort development in recent years. Several resorts offer elevated service, good food, and a genuine sense of escape — the island has positioned itself as a quieter alternative to Phuket for discerning visitors rather than backpacker infrastructure. Some of the resort operations can arrange fishing excursions directly or through local contacts.
Koh Yao Yai is considerably less developed. Accommodation is mostly simple guesthouses and family-run operations. If your priority is the fishing experience with minimal other infrastructure, Yao Yai's simplicity is a feature rather than a limitation.
Both islands have good local Thai food. The fishing community background of both islands means fresh seafood is consistently available and well-prepared.
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Fly to Phuket. Transfer to Bang Rong Pier (40 minutes). Ferry to Koh Yao Noi (30 minutes). Settle into accommodation. Afternoon walk along the eastern coast to scout the mangrove margins. Arrange longtail guide for the following morning.
Day 2: Pre-dawn session in the mangrove channels — barramundi and mangrove jack. Return for breakfast. Midday rest. Afternoon: longtail to the tidal channel between nearby karst formations for queenfish on surface lures. Return at dusk with possibly the best visual backdrop you will fish against in Thailand.
Day 3: Longtail trip to the deeper rocky structures on the south end of Yao Yai — grouper, snapper, and GT on jigs. Return to Yao Noi pier for the afternoon ferry back to Phuket, connecting with onward flights or a Phuket overnight.
A four- or five-day visit allows time for a day trip further into the bay — toward the inner karsts and the sea caves of the national park area — where both fishing and scenery reach their maximum.
Combining with the Wider Region
Koh Yao is naturally positioned as a middle point between Phuket and Krabi. An itinerary that begins in Phuket, crosses to Yao Noi for two or three nights of island fishing, then takes a speedboat to Krabi for a day in the Phi Phi area before flying out from Krabi airport is entirely feasible and covers the Phang Nga Bay fishing landscape comprehensively. See our guides on Phang Nga and Phi Phi and Lanta for the bookend fishing environments.
Conservation Notes
Phang Nga Bay is under significant visitor pressure from the national park's James Bond Island tour industry — thousands of tourists cross the bay daily during peak season. The Yao islands are not directly impacted by this traffic, but the cumulative effect of decades of motorboat activity throughout the bay has altered the marine environment.
The mangrove systems on both islands are ecologically important. They are nursery habitat for the species you are fishing — barramundi and mangrove jack juveniles develop in the mangrove root systems before moving to deeper water as adults. Retaining breeding-size fish from a system this contained would be a net negative for future fishing prospects. Catch-and-release should be the default.
The local fishing community on both islands has depended on the bay's resources for generations. Recreational anglers are guests in that environment. Behaving accordingly — returning fish, avoiding protected zones, and engaging local guides rather than operating independently — is the right approach and the one that builds the goodwill on which any sustainable fishing tourism depends.
Further reading: Phang Nga Bay Fishing | Phi Phi and Lanta Fishing | Mangrove Kayak Fishing Thailand | Barramundi: Species Guide | Mangrove Jack: Species Guide
