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all destinations AP · Oiapoque · estuary

oiapoque river — oiapoque

Brazil's northernmost point, on the border with French Guiana. Snook and pescada in the estuary, trairão upriver.

forecast for here see on the map

Oiapoque sits on the Brazilian bank of the river of the same name, linked by bridge to the French city of Saint-Georges. Below town, the river becomes a wide estuary, with mangroves and strong tidal influence: snook, pescada-amarela and camurupim (tarpon) at igarapé mouths and on the rocks. Upriver, above the cachoeiras (waterfalls), the water darkens and trairão appear. Near the mouth begins Cabo Orange National Park, where fishing is not permitted. It is an adventure trip, for those who want the country's northernmost point.

best season

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Driest period in Amapá, September to December, with less murky water in the estuary.

Local rules: Cabo Orange National Park: strictly protected, fishing not permitted. Border river: the French bank follows French law, which requires its own permit. Camurupim (tarpon) is a threatened species (Vulnerable): catch and release only, capture and transport prohibited. Arapaima closed season in Amapá from Dec 1 to May 31. Check local rules with Sema-AP.

getting there: About 590 km from Macapá on the BR-156, with stretches that worsen in the rain. Binational bridge to Saint-Georges, in French Guiana.
facilities: Basic hotels and inns, local boatmen and fishermen. Little infrastructure dedicated to sport fishing.
basin: Amazon
coast: North Coast

tip

In the estuary, fish the turn of the tide at the igarapé mouths. Tarpon jump a lot: ease the pressure when it jumps.

next 7 days here

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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

Illustration of Tarpon

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

The 'silver king': over 2 m, jumps non-stop and breathes air. Vulnerable species: fishing for it is prohibited in Brazil.

time of yearbest: Aug–Jan

Illustration of Common snook

Common snook

Centropomus undecimalis

Brazil's largest snook and the prize of coastal fishing. Hunts with the tide running at inlets, mangroves and rocky shores.

time of yearbest: Oct–Mar

Illustration of Fat snook

Fat snook

Centropomus parallelus

The most common snook in estuaries. A classic for night fishing with live shrimp, and excellent on shrimp lures and jig heads.

time of yearbest: Oct–Apr

Illustration of Acoupa weakfish

Acoupa weakfish

Cynoscion acoupa

The largest weakfish on the coast, over 1 m. Hunts in murky water with the tide running, at dawn and at night.

time of yearbest: Oct–Mar

Illustration of Trairão

Trairão

The trairão, the giant trahira of the clear-water rivers of the Brazilian Shield. Brutal surface strikes and teeth that cut through anything.

time of yearbest: Jun–Oct

sources and references

Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.

official ICMBio — Parque Nacional do Cabo Orange
official Imprensa Nacional (DOU) — Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 (lista nacional de peixes ameaçados)Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) as Vulnerable
official Sema-AP — Secretaria de Estado do Meio Ambiente do Amapá
official Ibama — Defesos continentaisAmazon basin and arapaima closed season in Amapá

near here

Amapá Grande River — Amapá

Araguari River — Porto Grande

Marajó Island — Soure

Salinópolis — Pará coast