North & Northeast Brazil: Fernando de Noronha, Natal and São Luís Fishing Guide

This coast mixes a strictly protected island park, offshore tuna grounds and big muddy estuaries full of tarpon and snook. At Fernando de Noronha you can fish only outside the marine park and with authorization, while around São Luís most anglers fish the estuaries for robalo, pescada and camurupim. A Brazilian amateur fishing license is needed for rod-and-reel fishing.

📍 Brazil's northeast coast. Fernando de Noronha is an island group about 354 km (191 nautical miles) off the coast, with flights from Natal and Recife. Natal is the capital of Rio Grande do Norte. São Luís sits on Ilha do Maranhão in the Golfão Maranhense estuary system (São Marcos, São José and Arraial bays) in Maranhão.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

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

Open the full North & Northeast Brazil map →

Quick facts

About 70% of Fernando de Noronha became a national marine park in 1988, and fishing without authorization is banned inside the park.
Fernando de Noronha was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, partly as a feeding ground for tuna, billfish, sharks and sea turtles.
Natal-based boats fish the St. Peter and St. Paul rocks, about 990 km from Natal, mainly for yellowfin tuna (best Nov-Mar) and wahoo (best Jul-Sep).
In November 2023 fishermen in Natal's Rio Potengi landed a camurupim (tarpon) about 2.1 m long and 63 kg.
Around São Luís, tarpon are taken off surf beaches and are most active on spring tides and the full moon.

What you can catch

Tarpon (camurupim)
Estuaries and surf beaches near São Luís; also in Natal's Rio Potengi.
Snook (robalo)
Common estuary target around São Luís.
Weakfish (pescada, pescada-amarela)
Estuary fish; pescada-amarela is jigged in Baía de São José.
Yellowfin tuna
Main catch of Natal boats at St. Peter and St. Paul rocks; best Nov-Mar.
Wahoo
Caught at St. Peter and St. Paul rocks; best Jul-Sep.
Peixe-pedra (Genyatremus luteus)
Most-caught fish by anglers in a Maranhão survey.
Goliath grouper (mero)
Critically endangered; release it.

Month by month

January	Yellowfin tuna catch rates high at St. Peter and St. Paul (Nov-Mar).
February	Yellowfin tuna season offshore continues.
March	Last month of the high tuna period offshore.
April	Rainy season in Maranhão; check estuary conditions.
May	Check local conditions.
June	Check local conditions.
July	Wahoo catch rates higher at St. Peter and St. Paul (Jul-Sep).
August	Wahoo season offshore; drier, windier weather in Maranhão.
September	Wahoo season offshore; dry season tarpon movement near São Luís.
October	Dry season; fish spring tides and full moon for tarpon.
November	Yellowfin tuna catch rates start to rise offshore.
December	Yellowfin tuna season offshore.

Tips

Do not fish inside the Fernando de Noronha marine park; fines for breaking park rules run R$500 to R$10,000.
Visitors to Noronha pay a daily environmental fee (TPA) plus a park ticket; check current amounts before you go.
Foreign anglers without a Brazilian CPF can get a license if a Brazilian citizen applies for them on gov.br with their passport details.
Lures work best on neap tides when water is clearer; tarpon bite better on spring tides and the full moon.
Keep fish whole (no fillets or headless fish) when transporting, so inspectors can check them.

Rules and license

Ministério da Pesca e Aquicultura (MPA); ICMBio for Fernando de Noronha · Official rules page ↗

Amateur license (MPA): shore-only (desembarcada) R$20/year; boat (embarcada) R$60/year.
Hand line or simple pole (no reel) needs no license; retirees, men over 65 and women over 60 are fee-exempt.
Saltwater take-home limit: 15 kg plus 1 fish per angler.
No selling the catch; no scuba or compressed air for spearfishing.
Catch-and-release is allowed; anglers must send a monthly catch report (Formulário de Monitoramento).
Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park: no fishing without authorization (ICMBio).
Maranhão state law 8.089/2004: rod-and-reel and spear fishers need the federal license.
Billfish rules and closed seasons (defeso): check current rules.

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

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 3 boat ramps and 10 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Big Toys Marina
Cabanga Iate Clube
Iate Clube Recife
Marina Forno da Cal
Marina de Itamaracá
Pernambuco Iate Clube
Porto de Pipa
Píer da Tramataia
Píer de Camurupim
Rampa de Lançamento
Recife Marina

Sources

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