araguaia river — aruanã
The most traditional town on the Goiás Araguaia. Beaches, fishing lodges and houseboats, with peacock bass in the lakes and catfish in the river.
Aruanã is the Araguaia's gateway for those coming from Goiânia and the starting point for many houseboats. In the dry season, the river drops and forms sandbanks and islands, and fishing splits between the channel, with pirarara, barbado and cachorra in the pools and currents, and the side lakes, with blue and yellow peacock bass, aruanã and pescada. The town sits beside Karajá villages, the people of the Araguaia. Outside July, the river is calm and the fishing gets better.
best season
Dry season, May to September. July is the beach season, with heavy traffic. Closed season in Goiás from Nov 1 to Feb 28.
Local rules: Goiás has a zero transport quota for 4 years from May 28, 2026 (IN Semad 17/2026): native fish may not be transported; consumption on site only, up to 5 kg per angler, respecting size limits. Threatened species, such as the Araguaia matrinchã, may not be caught. Closed season from Nov 1 to Feb 28. Karajá indigenous lands in the region: respect village boundaries. Check local rules.
- getting there
- About 310 km from Goiânia, on state highways.
- facilities
- Hotels, inns, fishing lodges, marinas, houseboats, guides and tackle shops.
- basin
- Tocantins-Araguaia
tip
In the busiest months, go up or down the river on a houseboat and fish the lakes far from town, where peacock bass face less pressure.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official Casa Civil de Goiás — Instrução Normativa Semad nº 17/2026 (defeso e cota zero de transporte)
- official Goiás Turismo — Folder AraguaiaPromotional material from Goiás Araguaia tourism
- official Ibama — Defesos continentaisAraguaia basin spawning closure (piracema)