patos lagoon — rio grande
Estuary of Brazil's largest lagoon, with croaker, mullet and flounder. The Molhes da Barra are a classic spot.
In Rio Grande, Patos Lagoon connects to the sea through a channel between the Molhes da Barra. The estuary mixes fresh and salt water depending on wind and rain. Croaker and flounder in the channels and shoals, mullet in schools. Miraguaia (Pogonias courbina) shows up at the jetties and bar, but it's a threatened species with catch banned: if you hook one, release it right away. On the jetties, which stretch kilometers out to sea, bluefish and croaker fishing. Bank, jetty and boat fishing. The south wind rules: it pushes salt water in and brings the fish.
best season
Spring and summer, October to March, with salt water entering the estuary.
Local rules: The estuary has its own fishing rules (minimum sizes, gear and closed seasons). Miraguaia has catch banned (threatened species): if you hook one, release it right away. Bagre-branco (Genidens barbus) is on threatened-species lists: don't kill it. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Porto Alegre, about 320 km via the BR-116 and BR-392. Pelotas airport, about 60 km away.
- facilities
- Hotels, inns, guides, boats and bait. Sail carts take anglers out along the West Jetty.
- basin
- South Atlantic
- coast
- South Coast
tip
After days of south wind, the water turns salty and croaker enter the estuary. Time to go.
Loading…
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 Ibama — Instrução Normativa Conjunta MMA/SEAP nº 3/2004 (pesca no estuário da Lagoa dos Patos)DOU page dated 11/02/2004
- official Imprensa Nacional (DOU) — Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 (lista nacional de peixes ameaçados)Miraguaia (Pogonias courbina) CR and bagre-branco (Genidens barbus) EN
- official MMA — Portaria Interministerial SEAP-PR/MMA nº 39/2018 (bagres marinhos)Bagre-branco (Genidens barbus)