volta grande reservoir — miguelópolis
Lake on the Rio Grande at the border with Minas Gerais, with a small beach and summer homes in Miguelópolis. Blue and yellow peacock bass, caught by casting.
The Volta Grande hydroelectric plant dams the Rio Grande between São Paulo and Minas Gerais and forms a lake of about 220 km². Miguelópolis, on the São Paulo side, depends on this lake: it has more than 1,400 summer homes, boat clubs, an artificial beach with kiosks, and annual sport fishing championships. The target is peacock bass, an introduced species: an experimental survey by the Instituto de Pesca recorded both forms, blue and yellow, with the blue far more abundant, and showed that rod and line catch more and bigger fish than nets. Croaker and mandi move into the tributary streams to feed and grow, and lambari is abundant. Boat fishing at the points, beaches and submerged timber, with artificial lures.
best season
In the lake study, autumn was the most productive season for peacock bass. During the spawning closure (Nov 1 to Feb 28), only non-native species, such as peacock bass and croaker.
Local rules: Spawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná basin from Nov 1 to Feb 28 (IN Ibama 25/2009): in the lake, only non-native species, up to 10 kg plus 1 specimen; fishing is banned within 1,500 m of dams, in the marginal lagoons, and with aquatic animals as bait. Lambari has a closed season in public reservoirs from Nov 1 to Feb 28. On the Minas Gerais bank, Minas Gerais rules also apply. Check local rules.
- getting there
- About 442 km from São Paulo via the Bandeirantes and Anhanguera highways. Regional airports in Uberaba and Ribeirão Preto.
- facilities
- Artificial beach with 50 kiosks and camping, boat clubs, hotels, inns and summer homes for rent.
- basin
- Paraná
tip
Peacock bass in the lake feed most between mid-morning and mid-afternoon, under clear skies and just before or after rain: work the points and beaches with mid-water lures.
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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 Boletim do Instituto de Pesca — Gomiero e Braga (2003), Pesca experimental do tucunaré, gênero Cichla, no reservatório da UHE de Volta Grande, rio GrandeBlue and yellow peacock bass; rod and line more effective; autumn more productive
- scientific Unesp — Braga (2001), Reprodução de peixes (Osteichthyes) em afluentes do reservatório de Volta Grande, rio GrandeCroaker, mandi and lambari among the most abundant species in the tributary streams
- official Prefeitura de Miguelópolis — TurismoSport fishing, annual championships, artificial beach and summer homes on the lake
- official Ibama — Defesos continentaisSpawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná basin (IN Ibama 25/2009) and lambari closed season in reservoirs (IN Ibama 51/2004)