Best Time › Fishing Calendars › Brazil (Atlantic coast & Amazon/Pantanal)
FISHING CALENDAR · BRAZIL (ATLANTIC COAST & AMAZON/PANTANAL)
Brazil (Atlantic coast & Amazon/Pantanal) Fishing Calendar
Offshore billfish run October to March (best in December), Amazon peacock bass are best in the low-water months of September to December, and Pantanal rivers are closed for spawning (piracema) from November to February. You need a federal amateur fishing licence from the gov.br portal (R$20 shore, R$60 boat; men over 65 and women over 60 are exempt for rod-and-reel), and foreigners can get one through a Brazilian friend without a CPF.
Government fish & wildlife updates
- Ministerio da Pesca e Aquicultura (MPA) — Federal amateur/sport fishing licence and rules
- IMASUL - Mato Grosso do Sul — Piracema closed season and dourado rules in Mato Grosso do Sul
Month by month
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore | |||||||||||||
| Blue marlin (marlim-azul) | A Canavieiras (Bahia) charter's 2012-2017 log shows trips from October to March, with December the best month for billfish overall (56% of the catch). All fish released.[9] | ||||||||||||
| White marlin (marlim-branco) | Caught on the same Canavieiras (Bahia) trips, October to March; December was best for billfish overall (species combined). All fish released.[9] | ||||||||||||
| Sailfish (agulhão-vela) | Caught on the same Canavieiras (Bahia) trips, October to March; December was best for billfish overall (species combined). All fish released.[9] | ||||||||||||
| Yellowfin tuna (albacora-laje) | Far offshore at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul rocks, catch rates rise sharply from November to March (13 years of fishery data).[10] | ||||||||||||
| Wahoo (cavala-empinge) | At the Saint Peter and Saint Paul rocks, wahoo catch rates go up from July to September (13 years of fishery data).[10] | ||||||||||||
| Inshore & coast | |||||||||||||
| Tarpon (camurupim / pirapema) | Northeast coast near Recife (Pernambuco/Paraiba): season September to March for young resident tarpon; big migrating adults show up mid-September to December, says a fly-fishing outfitter.[11] | ||||||||||||
| Bluefish (anchova) | South Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina): runs from about April-May, peak in July, still good in August; spawns late spring to summer. Federal minimum size 35 cm (per ICMBio report).[12][13] | ||||||||||||
| Freshwater (Amazon & Pantanal) | |||||||||||||
| Speckled peacock bass (tucunaré-açu) | Best in the low-water season on the Rio Negro and Amazon. Lodges and magazines give August-March, September-February and September-mid-December; September-December is the window they all share. Lodges reported strong fishing in December 2025-January 2026.[1][2][3][4] | ||||||||||||
| Golden dorado (dourado) | In Mato Grosso do Sul you may not keep dourado: catch-and-release only, under a state law extended to 31 March 2027. All river fishing (even catch-and-release) is closed there 5 November to 28 February for the piracema; Mato Grosso closes 1 October to 31 January.[5][6][7] | ||||||||||||
| Spotted sorubim (pintado) | Pantanal: August to October is the best time for pintado and other catfish, says a Pantanal fishing guide. Rivers closed for the piracema November to February (Mato Grosso do Sul: 5 Nov - 28 Feb).[8][6] | ||||||||||||
| Pacu | Pantanal: March to May, when pacu hang under fruit trees over the water. Rivers closed for the piracema November to February (Mato Grosso do Sul: 5 Nov - 28 Feb).[8][6] | ||||||||||||
Never keep: Goliath grouper (mero) may never be kept: Brazil's federal threatened-species list (Portaria MMA 445/2014) bans catching, carrying and selling it, and in Mato Grosso do Sul golden dorado is catch-and-release only.[14][7]
Bait & rig for each fish
Blue marlin (marlim-azul)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo, mackerel and live tunas.
Lures: Large skirted trolling lures.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
White marlin (marlim-branco)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and small squid.
Lures: Small skirted trolling lures.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Sailfish (agulhão-vela)
Bait: Live goggle-eyes, pilchards, threadfin herring and ballyhoo.
Lures: Small trolling lures and rigged ballyhoo.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
Yellowfin tuna (albacora-laje)
Bait: Live baits (blue runners, bonito) and chunks.
Lures: Spreader bars, skirted lures, poppers and stick baits.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.
Wahoo (cavala-empinge)
Bait: Rigged ballyhoo and live baits on wire.
Lures: High-speed trolling lures and lipped diving plugs on wire.
Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.
Leader: Use heavy abrasion/bite leader; many wahoo anglers add short wire or cable because of the teeth.
Tarpon (camurupim / pirapema)
Bait: Live crabs, mullet, pinfish, threadfin herring and large shrimp.
Lures: Swimbaits, soft-plastic jerkbaits, plugs and flies; small jigs for baby tarpon.
Rig: A documented tarpon option is a live-line/live-bait rig using main line, leader, a circle hook and live bait without added weight. Component strength and size must match the fish and local rules.
Leader: A strong monofilament leader helps resist contact with the gill plate and tail.
Bluefish (anchova)
Bait: Cut mullet and live finger mullet.
Lures: Metal spoons, Gotcha plugs and topwater poppers.
Leader: 30–40 lb fluorocarbon (add light wire for mackerel and bluefish).
Speckled peacock bass (tucunaré-açu)
Bait: Rarely used; nearly all peacock fishing is with lures.
Lures: Big prop baits ("woodchoppers"), walking topwaters, jerkbaits, jigs and large flies.
Leader: Wire or 60–80 lb fluorocarbon for toothy fish.
Golden dorado (dourado)
Bait: Live morena (eel-like fish), small fish and crabs where bait is allowed.
Lures: Big spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, jerkbaits and large flies, all on wire leaders.
Leader: Wire or 60–80 lb fluorocarbon for toothy fish.
Spotted sorubim (pintado)
Bait: Live morena, small fish (tuvira, cascarudo) and cut fish.
Lures: Rarely; mostly a bait fish.
Leader: Wire or 60–80 lb fluorocarbon for toothy fish.
Pacu
Bait: Fruits and seeds (figs, palm fruits), corn, crabs and dough baits.
Lures: Small spinners and fruit-imitating flies.
Leader: Wire or 60–80 lb fluorocarbon for toothy fish.
Local fishing reports — what’s biting now
- MidCurrent - Amazon lodge reports — Lodge-by-lodge peacock bass reports from the Rio Negro area
Sources
- Acute Angling - Frequently Asked Questions (peacock bass)
- Game & Fish - Amazon peacock bass fishing mecca
- Sportquest Holidays - Brazil fishing
- MidCurrent - Amazon lodges report bonanza conditions (Jan 2026)
- Itatiaia - Piracema 2025/26: o que pode e o que nao pode pescar no defeso
- IMASUL (Mato Grosso do Sul) - Piracema
- Correio do Estado - Pesca do dourado segue proibida em MS
- Bahia.ws - Fishing in the Pantanal: places, baits, methods and seasons
- Boletim do Instituto de Pesca - Billfish catches from oceanic recreational fishing in the Royal Charlotte Bank, Bahia
- Boletim do Instituto de Pesca - Fisheries in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago: 13 years of monitoring
- Far Bank / Fly Water Travel - Silver King Brazil (tarpon)
- ICMBio CEPSUL - Relatorio de ordenamento da anchova (2009)
- Marine and Freshwater Research (CSIRO) - Life history and fishery of the enchova in southern Brazil
- SEMIL Sao Paulo - Portaria MMA sobre especies aquaticas ameacadas volta a vigorar
- Ministerio da Pesca e Aquicultura - Cartilha pesca amadora e esportiva
- O Presente Rural - Brasil libera licenca de pesca para estrangeiros sem CPF
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every month on this calendar comes from the sources above. Empty boxes mean no official source gives those months. Rules change — check the agency page before you keep a fish.
On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock — for those few hours it’s just you, the water and peace.