araguaia river — cocalinho
Beaches and lakes of the middle Araguaia on the Mato Grosso side. July season with campsites and peacock bass in the lakes.
Cocalinho sits on the Mato Grosso bank of the middle Araguaia, on a stretch of wide beaches and side lakes that draw anglers from Goiás and Mato Grosso in the dry season. Fishing is classic Araguaia: peacock bass and aruanã in the lakes, cachorra and bicuda in the currents, pirarara and barbado in the pools on bottom bait, pescada along the edges. In July the town sets up its beach season and traffic grows a lot.
best season
Beach season, June to September. On the Araguaia, the piracema runs from Nov 1 to Feb 28.
Local rules: Border river: the Goiás bank follows Goiás rules (zero transport quota). On the Mato Grosso side, Transporte Zero until Dec 31, 2028: catch and release, with consumption on site only (Lei MT 12.434/2024). Araguaia piracema from Nov 1 to Feb 28. Araguaia matrinchã (Brycon gouldingi): capture prohibited. Check local rules.
- getting there
- By road from Barra do Garças (MT), or crossing the Araguaia from Goiás. Confirm crossings and roads before you go.
- facilities
- Inns, fishing lodges, boatmen and seasonal campsites.
- basin
- Tocantins-Araguaia
tip
Big pirarara like deep pools with submerged timber at the end of the beach: whole fish bait and a sliding sinker.
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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 Assembleia Legislativa de Mato Grosso — Lei estadual nº 12.434/2024 (Transporte Zero)
- official Casa Civil de Goiás — Instrução Normativa Semad nº 17/2026 (defeso e cota zero de transporte)
- official Ibama — Defesos continentaisAraguaia basin spawning closure (piracema)