Is It Safe to Fish in Mexico Near the Texas Border?

The short answer

For more than 15 years, U.S. anglers have crossed down to fish Sugar Lake with us — week in, week out, every season. The trips that run smoothly all have the same shape: you're met on the U.S. side, escorted across the border, lodged minutes from the ramp, and guided on the water all day.

The U.S. State Department's Mexico advisory treats Tamaulipas, the state where the lake sits, as a do-not-travel area, and we won't pretend otherwise. What we can tell you — from thousands of hosted trips — is exactly how our routine removes the travel the advisory is written about: no solo driving, no navigating, no city-to-city travel, no buses, and nobody on the road after dark.

This page lays out how our trips are structured, what we handle for you, and how to prepare, so you can decide what's right for you.

What does the State Department say about Tamaulipas?

The State Department advisory rates Mexico as a whole Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, and it applies its strictest rating to the state of Tamaulipas. It's worth reading what the advisory is actually about: crime on highways between cities, buses, and urban areas far from where anglers go. It does not single out the Camargo area around Sugar Lake, and it specifically allows border-crossing use at crossings like Nuevo Progreso.

That's exactly why our trips don't look like the travel the advisory describes: no buses, no solo highway driving, no moving between cities. You cross once with our team, you stay at the lake, and you fish.

What travel rules does the State Department recommend?

The department tells U.S. citizens to follow the same restrictions it sets for its own employees. A well-run fishing trip already ticks every one of them:

• No travel between cities after dark — our groups are settled at the lodge before sunset.
• No traveling alone — you're with your guide group for the entire trip.
• No driving between border cities and the interior — we cross once, together, and stay at the lake.
• Checkpoints — our guides handle any conversation, in Spanish, on routes they drive every week.
• No buses — we never use them.

What risks are specific to a fishing trip?

A hosted trip takes the advisory's main worry off the table: you are never driving Mexican highways alone or at night. You ride with us, once, on a short daytime crossing, on a route our guides have run for 15+ years.

On the water, our boats are kept to the standard we'd want our own families in — life jackets, radios, and repair tools on board, and a guide with you all day. Ask us about all of it before you book; we like the question.

Medical planning is worth a moment on any remote trip — the same advice we'd give for any rural fishing lodge, in Mexico or anywhere: emergency services are limited in the countryside, hospitals typically take payment up front, and medical evacuation insurance is strongly recommended.

What can a guide service actually control?

A good operator controls your itinerary: where you cross, who you travel with, when you move, and what happens if something goes wrong. Ask every operator for specifics on each of those.

Here is how we handle it at Bassunit:

• Meeting point. Groups meet at the HEB in Rio Grande City, Texas. Nobody navigates on their own.
• Escort. We escort every group across the border to the lodge.
• Lodge location. The lodge sits in a private zone dedicated to tourism, minutes from the boat ramp, so there are no long daily drives.
• Track record. We have guided anglers on Sugar Lake for more than 15 years.

How should you prepare?

• Read the current advisory and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for embassy alerts.
• Carry proof of U.S. citizenship. The advisory says you need a passport book or card to enter Mexico by land.
• Ask whether your itinerary needs an FMM entry permit. The advisory says travelers staying within about 12 miles (20 km) of the border for six days or less do not.
• Get a Mexican fishing license for boat fishing, or confirm your package includes one.
• Buy travel insurance with medical evacuation, and ask your insurer whether the destination is covered.
• Leave firearms and ammunition at home. Ask before packing knives, since Mexican law restricts many blades.
• Share your itinerary and your operator's contact details with family, and carry a charged phone.
• Do not drive yourself, ride buses, or accept rides from strangers.

Who should think twice?

Every angler should make the call they're comfortable with, and an honest operator will never pressure you either way. If the advisory gives you pause, fish closer to home this year — we'll be here when you're ready. If you're coming, pick an operator who answers your questions in specifics, not reassurances. Ask us anything before you book, and read what our past guests say about their trips.

Written By Sergio de la Garza

Sergio de la Garza runs Bassunit on Sugar Lake and shares what the guides are actually seeing on the water — no filler, no guesswork.