mogi guaçu river — cachoeira de emas
Classic rapids in São Paulo's interior, a passage point for piracema fish. Dorado, curimbatá, piapara and mandi.
Cachoeira de Emas is a district of Pirassununga, on the middle Mogi Guaçu, where the river runs over rapids and a small century-old dam with a fish ladder. It is one of São Paulo's oldest fishing spots: during the piracema, migratory fish run up the river and gather there, and studies point to the site as a dorado breeding area. Curimbatá, mandi, piapara, piau and lambari are the most caught, from the bank; the dorado hunt the schools on the rapids. The district is home to ICMBio's continental fish research center (Cepta).
best season
Piracema schools reach Emas from late August. Native-species fishing from March to October; Nov 1 to Feb 28, spawning closure (piracema).
Local rules: During the spawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná basin (Nov 1 to Feb 28, IN Ibama 25/2009) only non-native species may be fished, on rivers from the bank only, and fishing within 1,500 m of dams and waterfalls is prohibited: at Emas, this closes the rapids area. Outside the piracema, fishing at Emas was limited by Portaria Ibama 60/2003 to bank stretches defined below the old bridge and above the dam; confirm with the Environmental Police whether these stretches still apply and follow the signs. Dorado: minimum size of 60 cm in the Paraná basin. Check local rules.
- getting there
- About 210 km from São Paulo via the Anhanguera Highway, to Pirassununga. Campinas (Viracopos) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights.
- facilities
- Fish restaurants, bars, inns and bait shops in the district. Bank fishing on the open banks.
- basin
- Paraná
tip
Rapids dorado strike lures drifting down with the current: cast above the rock and let the lure pass through the foam, reeling in just enough to keep the line tight.
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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.
- scientific Brazilian Journal of Biology — Peixer e Petrere Jr. (2009), Sport fishing in Cachoeira de Emas in Mogi-Guaçu River, State of São Paulo, BrazilSport fishing species at the site and the arrival of the piracema from August
- scientific Brazilian Journal of Biology — Socio-economic characteristics of the Cachoeira de Emas small-scale fishery in Mogi-Guaçu RiverDorado, curimbatá, piapara and mandi among the main species
- official Ibama — Defesos continentaisSpawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná basin (IN Ibama 25/2009)
- official Ibama — Portaria nº 60/2003 (pesca no rio Mogi Guaçu, trechos liberados em Cachoeira de Emas)Text from 2003; confirm whether it still applies and the stretches with Ibama or the Environmental Police