BRAZIL LAKES & RIVERS FISHING MAP

Fishing Hot Spots

The São Francisco River from Três Marias to the sea, the big reservoirs of Minas Gerais and Goiás (Furnas, Serra da Mesa, Itumbiara, São Simão), the Tietê and Paraná dams of São Paulo and Paraná down to Itaipu and Foz do Iguaçu, and the Tocantins from Palmas to Tucuruí. Tap any star or dot to see what it is and what to fish there.

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Fishing & access

Marine chart layers

Parks & rules

Data rule: River stars are the nearest point on the Natural Earth river centerline to the town, and lake stars are the nearest point on the Natural Earth reservoir outline (Serra da Mesa is the OpenStreetMap reservoir, checked to sit on the water). These are general positions, not pinpoints, and each star says so. Boat ramps and marinas come from OpenStreetMap, and the parks, reserves and Indigenous lands come from the World Database on Protected Areas. Ecological stations, Indigenous lands and Iguaçu National Park, closed to outside fishing, are solid red; parks and reserves where fishing follows their own rules are dashed red. No hot spot sits inside or right next to a closed area. Every star shows its source when you tap it. BigJoe does not invent coordinates.
Select a Fishing Hot Spot on the map or from the list below.
★ Fishing Hot SpotBoat rampMarinaWreckObstructionRock (yellow = awash)Coral / rock bottomCanyonWeather/tide stationNo-fishing zone (solid red)Protected area, fishing with rules (dashed red)

Safety: these are planning references. Use current official charts, weather and marine alerts and proper safety equipment before heading out.

Fishing Hot Spots by area

River towns, reservoirs and dams. Tap one to fly to it on the map.

Peacock bass in the dams and dourado in the rivers

Brazil's big hydroelectric lakes became some of the best peacock bass (tucunaré) water in South America. Serra da Mesa and Tucuruí are famous for trophy fish, and Furnas, Ilha Solteira, Três Irmãos and Itaipu are full of peacock bass and corvina, close to roads and towns.

The São Francisco, the "river of national unity," runs from Minas Gerais to the Atlantic: dourado and giant surubim in the free-flowing river at Pirapora and Januária, peacock bass in the Sobradinho lake and the Xingó canyon, and snook near the mouth at Penedo.

Below the big dams on the Paraná, at Porto Primavera and Foz do Iguaçu, the current holds dourado, pintado and the giant jaú catfish.

Rules: Brazil requires an amateur fishing license, each state adds its own rules, and most rivers close during the piracema spawning season (roughly November to February). Ecological stations, Indigenous lands and Iguaçu National Park are closed to fishing.

On the bay, in the mangroves, on the ocean or on a quiet lake at sunrise, the everyday struggles get left at the dock. For those few hours, it's just you, the water and peace.

BigJoe’s gear for Brazil Lakes & Rivers

What BigJoe would bring to fish these waters.

Rod7 ft medium-heavy spinning rodShop on Amazon ↗Reel5000 sealed saltwater spinning reelShop on Amazon ↗Line30 lb braidShop on Amazon ↗TrollingSkirted trolling lures for mahi & wahooShop on Amazon ↗Jigs1 oz bucktail jigs for the reefShop on Amazon ↗RigSnapper bottom rigsShop on Amazon ↗TopwaterSaltwater poppers for jacks & barracudaShop on Amazon ↗SunglassesPolarized fishing sunglassesShop on Amazon ↗

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