paraná river — ayolas (yacyretá)
The Paraguayan city by the Yacyretá dam, on the Paraná. Dorado, surubim and pacu, with a tournament tradition and city amenities.
Ayolas sits on the Paraguayan bank of the Paraná, beside the binational Yacyretá hydroelectric dam. The river here is wide, with islands, channels and strong current. Dorado is the city's symbol fish and the main target: it strikes mid-water lures and natural bait in the current around the islands. Surubim (pintado) comes out in the deep pools, on natural bait on the bottom, and pacu in the backwaters. Boga (piapara), manguruyú (jaú) and patí round out the fishing. The Yacyretá Fishing Club holds the annual International Dorado and Mixed-Species Fishing Competition. Trips leave by boat with a guide, from town or from the riverside inns.
best season
Autumn (March to May) and late winter to spring (August to October), before the closed season. In September dorado run up the river and the city hosts the international dorado tournament. Closed season from November to mid-December.
Local rules: A MADES sport fishing license is required (there is an office in Ayolas). The annual closed season also applies to sport fishing: on this stretch of the Paraná, in 2025–2026, it ran from Nov 2 to Dec 20 (MADES Resolution 523/2025). There is a 3 km fish reserve zone above and below the dam axis, under the Prefectura Naval's watch: do not fish or navigate there. Fish caught in sport fishing cannot be sold, and foreigners have a trophy limit. Confirm the local rules.
- getting there
- From Asunción, about 305 km via Route PY01. In town, boat trips leave from the port and the riverside inns.
- facilities
- Hotels, inns and fish restaurants in town and in the locality of Corateí. Many inns sell packages with boat, guide and gear. There are fishing shops and guided tours of the dam.
- country
- Misiones, Paraguay
tip
In the current around the islands, use heavy mid-water lures and a strong leader: dorado have sharp teeth and jump a lot. For surubim, fish the bottom of the pools late in the afternoon and at night.
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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
before you fish in Paraguay
The sport fishing license is issued by MADES, at the Asunción headquarters, at the regional offices (Pilar, Ayolas, Ciudad del Este, Encarnación, Coronel Oviedo and Concepción) or online through the SIAM portal. It requires a 3x4 photo and a copy of the document. Values released by MADES in April 2025: sport fishing G. 215,254; occasional sport fishing for nationals G. 107,627 (4 days); sport fishing for foreigners G. 322,881 (4 days). A sport fishing boat has its own registration. Valid for anyone who fishes, with or without a boat.
- Annual closed season set by MADES resolution, which also applies to sport fishing and prohibits the transport and sale of fish. In the 2025–2026 season (Resolution 523/2025): from November 2 to December 20, 2025 in waters shared with Argentina and in the other rivers; until January 31, 2026 in the Paraguay River upstream of the Apa River, in the Apa and in the Paraná upstream of the Yguazú River (waters shared with Brazil). During the closed season, selling and transporting live bait is also prohibited.
- Fish from sport and tourist fishing may not be sold (Law 3,556/2008, art. 18, cited in SEAM Resolution 650/2013).
- Foreign sport anglers need to register in the National Register of Fishers. SEAM Resolution 650/2013 limits transport as a trophy to up to 2 specimens of mixed species and 1 surubí or dorado, or up to 3 specimens of carimbatá, boga, pacu or patí. Confirm with MADES whether the limit remains the same.
- Monofilament nets are banned throughout the country (manufacture, possession, use, transport and sale), by MADES resolution.
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official MADES — MADES establece periodo de veda pesquera 2025–2026 (Resolución 523/2025)
- official MADES — Licencias de pesca (tipos, requisitos y oficinas regionales, 2025)Lists the Ayolas regional office
- official Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca (Argentina) — Convenio de conservación y desarrollo de los recursos ícticos de los ríos Paraná y Paraguay (art. XIII)Fish reserve zone of 3 km upstream and downstream of the Yacyretá dam axis (1992 agreement)
- press ABC Color — Ayolas: atractivos para el turismo interno a orillas del Paraná (2022)Distance from Asunción, lodging and fishing