curimataú river — barra do cunhaú
Mangrove estuary on the southern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, known for adult tarpon rolling in the river. Snook and peva in the mangrove branches.
The Curimataú River reaches the sea at Barra do Cunhaú, on the southern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, after a wide estuary ringed by mangroves. It is known to fly and artificial-lure anglers for adult tarpon, which rise to the surface to breathe, and for young fish of 2 to 6 kg among the mangrove branches. Small snook along the banks, larger ones in the deep channels, peva in the narrow arms and jack in the channels make up the rest of the fishing, all done from a boat. The river has little traffic of launches and jet skis.
best season
Summer and months with little rain, September to February.
Local rules: Tarpon is a threatened species (Vulnerable): catch and release only, preferably without lifting the fish out of the water; use strong tackle so as not to exhaust the adults. Grouper: catch banned. Check local rules.
- getting there
- About 1 hour by car from Natal and 2 hours from João Pessoa. Boarding is from a beach near the mouth, at Barra do Cunhaú.
- facilities
- Guided fishing, with a boat brought by local guides; the largest tourist infrastructure is on the southern coast of Rio Grande do Norte and in Natal.
- basin
- Eastern Northeast Atlantic
- coast
- Northeast Coast
tip
For snook, the moon matters more than the tide's direction: prefer the first or last quarter, when the water runs slowly.
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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.
- market Recife Tarpon — Rio CurimataúFishing guide: adult and young tarpon, snook, peva and jack in the Barra do Cunhaú estuary
- official Imprensa Nacional (DOU) — Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 (lista nacional de peixes ameaçados)Tarpon (VU) and grouper (CR)
- official Idema-RN — Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável e Meio Ambiente