Rio Negro Peacock Bass (Barcelos, Amazonas) Fishing Guide

The middle Rio Negro around Barcelos is a blackwater river system known for giant speckled peacock bass. Most trips are week-long boat-hotel or camp trips in the low-water season, roughly September to February or March, fishing lagoons, lakes and tributaries. Fishing is done mainly as catch-and-release, and you need a Brazilian amateur fishing license.

📍 Barcelos, on the middle Rio Negro in Amazonas state, Brazil, about 402 km from Manaus. Anglers fly into Manaus, then take a charter flight to Barcelos and board a boat-hotel or camp. Fishing is on the Rio Negro and tributaries such as the Aracá, Demeni, Cuiuni and Preto. The Mariuá archipelago runs from Barcelos toward Santa Isabel do Rio Negro.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

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

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Quick facts

Barcelos is about 402 km from Manaus; the Mariuá archipelago near it has more than 1,400 islands.
The speckled peacock bass (Cichla temensis) is the main target and the largest in its genus; the IGFA all-tackle mark is 13.19 kg (29 lb 1 oz), from the Rio Negro.
A 2023 study counted 42 sport fishing operators in Barcelos, 32 of them running boat-hotels, using 22 different rivers.
About 8,400 anglers fished the middle Rio Negro in the 2018-2019 season, roughly 80% Brazilian and 20% foreign, mostly American.
Amazonas Decree 31.151/2011 bans commercial fishing of tucunaré and aruanã in the Rio Negro basin from the Colombian border to the mouth of the Rio Branco.

What you can catch

Speckled peacock bass (tucunaré-açu, Cichla temensis)
The main target; fish over 10 lb are notable and over 20 lb are rare trophies.
Butterfly peacock bass (Cichla orinocensis)
Second most popular peacock species with Barcelos operators.
Cichla monoculus
Smaller peacock species also targeted.
Cichla nigromaculata
Found in the middle Rio Negro.
Aruanã (arowana)
Common bycatch; on the Amazonas closed-season list.
Piranha
Silver and black piranha are the most common in the Rio Negro.
Bicuda
Pike-like fish that hits lures.
Catfish (piraíba, jaú, pirarara)
Big catfish caught in Amazonas sport fishing.

Month by month

January	Low-water season continues in many areas; Amazonas closed season on listed species (not tucunaré).
February	Most common season end; water rising.
March	Some operators fish until March; closed season on listed species ends mid-March (2024-25 dates).
April	High water; off season.
May	River rising (May-Jul); off season.
June	High water; off season.
July	High water; off season.
August	Some outfitters start late August as water drops.
September	Season opens; September-October are often called the best months.
October	Prime low-water fishing.
November	Season continues; Amazonas closed season on listed species began Nov 15 in 2024.
December	Rains start and water rises; some outfitters move to shallower water.

Tips

Get your Brazilian amateur fishing license on gov.br before the trip; since November 2025 a Brazilian (often your outfitter) can apply for you with your passport, no CPF needed.
Book through a licensed operator; there are no marinas or boat rentals in the good fishing areas.
Release peacock bass quickly; operators fish mainly catch-and-release and big fish are getting scarcer.
Do not fish in Indigenous lands or protected areas unless your operator has the approved permits.
Drink bottled water on remote boats and bring sun and insect protection.

Rules and license

Ministério da Pesca e Aquicultura (MPA, federal license); IPAAM (Amazonas state enforcement and operator licensing); SEMA-AM; FUNAI (Indigenous lands) · Official rules page ↗

Federal amateur/sport fishing license required (exempt only for hand line or simple cane). Boat category (embarcada) R$60 per year per the MPA booklet.
Federal transport limit in fresh water: 10 kg plus 1 fish; selling sport-caught fish is banned.
Decree 31.151/2011: no commercial fishing of tucunaré or aruanã in the Rio Negro basin (Colombian border to Rio Branco mouth); sport-caught fish may only be eaten by the angler.
Amazonas Decree 39.125/2018 regulates sport fishing; operators must register with IPAAM and turn in a logbook and work plan each season.
A legal catch-and-release requirement for tucunaré was not confirmed (a 2023 state bill was not confirmed as law): check current rules.
Amazonas closed season (2024-25: Nov 15 - Mar 15) covered pirarucu, tambaqui, pacu, sardinha, matrinxã, aruanã, caparari, mapará, pirapitinga and surubim; tucunaré was not listed. Check each year's dates.
Fishing tourism in Indigenous lands is allowed only under approved community plans (e.g. Jurubaxi-Téa and Uneuixi near Santa Isabel do Rio Negro).
The Mariuá area includes parts of Jaú National Park, Serra do Aracá State Park and an environmental protection area (APA): check rules before fishing there.

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.