Bolivia & Peru Rivers Fishing Guide

Bolivia's Tsimane lodges fish clear jungle rivers in the TIPNIS park for golden dorado, mostly on the fly, from June to October. In Peru, Iquitos is the base for Amazon peacock bass fishing, with the Pacaya-Samiria reserve among the waters fished, and the best fishing comes as the water drops. The giant paiche (arapaima) is tightly protected in Peru, with a long closed season and community-run quotas.

📍 Bolivia: the Sécure, Pluma and Itirizama rivers inside Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS), Beni and Cochabamba departments, reached by charter flight from Santa Cruz to the Asunta or Oromomo communities. Peru: the Amazon around Iquitos (Loreto), including the Nanay and Tahuayo rivers and the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Bolivia & Peru Lakes & Rivers map →

Quick facts

Isiboro Sécure was made a national park in 1965 and covers about 1,372,180 hectares; it is home to the Tsimané, Yuracaré and Mojeño-Trinitario peoples and is run by Bolivia's SERNAP.
The Tsimane fishing program began with a 2007 agreement between the Sécure River indigenous communities and Untamed Angling; the contract requires fish to be released back into the Sécure and its tributaries.
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve covers about 2,080,000 hectares and is Peru's third-largest protected area, managed by SERNANP with local communities.
Paiche (Arapaima gigas) is closed to catching, selling, transporting and eating in Loreto from October 1 to February 28 (Ministerial Resolution 215-2001-PE).
Paiche is listed on CITES Appendix II, and community management plans in Pacaya-Samiria harvest only adults of at least 1.60 m.

What you can catch

Golden dorado
Main target in TIPNIS; resident fish year-round plus migrating fish that follow sábalo baitfish runs.
Pacu (Amazon / black pacu)
Caught in the Sécure and Pluma; lodges call it the jungle permit.
Yatorana
Bolivian jungle-river catch alongside dorado and pacu.
Peacock bass (tucunaré)
Main target around Iquitos and in Pacaya-Samiria.
Paiche (arapaima)
One of the world's largest freshwater fish (up to about 3 m and 250 kg); closed in Loreto Oct 1 - Feb 28, CITES Appendix II.
Payara
Caught in the Peruvian Amazon near Iquitos.
Giant catfish (piraíba, sorubim and others)
Caught near Iquitos; jungle catfish are also possible on Bolivian rivers.
Arowana and piranha
Common catches on Iquitos-area lakes and rivers.

Month by month

January	Bolivia: rainy season, lodges closed. Peru: high water; paiche closed.
February	Bolivia: rainy season. Peru: paiche closed through Feb 28.
March	Bolivia: sábalo and dorado migrations can start Mar-Apr. Peru: paiche season opens Mar 1.
April	Bolivia: migrations under way. Peru: high water, harder fishing.
May	Bolivia: migratory dorado arrive late May-June. Peru: dry season starting, water dropping.
June	Bolivia: Tsimane season opens (dry season, low clear rivers).
July	Bolivia: prime dorado season. Peru: dry season.
August	Bolivia: dorado season. Peru: low water, good peacock bass fishing.
September	Bolivia: dorado season. Peru: low water, good fishing.
October	Bolivia: season ends mid to late October. Peru: paiche closed from Oct 1.
November	Bolivia: rainy season. Peru: rains rising; paiche closed.
December	Bolivia: rainy season. Peru: paiche closed.

Tips

Tsimane lodges practice catch and release on all species, with barbless hooks required.
Budget for the indigenous and national park fees, which lodges charge on top of the package price.
Charter flights to the TIPNIS lodges have strict bag limits (about 25 kg per person).
In Peru, confirm your fishing permit is included in the tour package before you travel.
Do not keep, buy or eat paiche in Loreto from October 1 to February 28.

Rules and license

Bolivia: SERNAP (Servicio Nacional de Áreas Protegidas) and the Sécure indigenous communities. Peru: SERNANP (Pacaya-Samiria) and PRODUCE (fisheries) · Official rules page ↗

TIPNIS fishing is run under agreements with the indigenous communities; the original contract requires fish to be released.
Indigenous and national park fees apply in TIPNIS; amounts change, check current rules.
Peru: paiche closed season in Loreto Oct 1 - Feb 28; no catching, selling, transporting or eating.
Paiche is CITES Appendix II; PRODUCE is Peru's CITES authority for it.
Community paiche quotas in Pacaya-Samiria take only adults of 1.60 m or more, with some areas closed permanently.
Tourism inside Pacaya-Samiria is run by operators holding SERNANP contracts.
Bag limits and sport fishing licence details for Peru: not confirmed; check current rules.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 0 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.