rio negro — santa isabel do rio negro
Upper Rio Negro, blackwater and indigenous lands. Açu peacock bass in lakes and tributaries, only with an authorized operation.
Santa Isabel is on the upper Rio Negro, between Barcelos and São Gabriel da Cachoeira, in a region of blackwater, white-sand beaches and little-fished tributaries. It is indigenous territory, with the Médio Rio Negro I and II and Rio Téa indigenous lands, and the communities are developing community-based tourism, including fishing. The target is the açu peacock bass of the lakes and shores, with borboleta (butterfly peacock bass), aruanã, cachorra and bicuda completing the catch. Operations are by houseboat or camp, with a voadeira and an indigenous guide, and catch and release is the rule.
best season
The dry season on the upper Rio Negro comes after Barcelos' dry season: usually November to March. The level changes a lot from year to year.
Local rules: Much of the river system lies in indigenous land: tourism and fishing only with a visitation plan approved by Funai (IN Funai 3/2015) and the consent of the communities. The MPF obtained a court ban on sport fishing in Rio Negro indigenous lands without that plan. In Amazonas, açu peacock bass is catch and release only, and using live bait for peacock bass is prohibited (Lei AM 6.647/2023, with Lei 7.208/2024). Check local rules.
- getting there
- By boat from Manaus or Barcelos, on a multi-day trip, or by chartered flight. The fishing itself depends on the authorized operator, who organizes the entire trip.
- facilities
- Small tourist infrastructure in town. Sport fishing is run by operators with agreements with indigenous associations, on houseboats or in camps.
- basin
- Amazon
tip
In clear blackwater, the açu can see the line: use a long fluorocarbon leader and work the beach points early and late in the day.
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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.
- official Ministério da Justiça — Instrução Normativa Funai nº 3, de 11 de junho de 2015 (visitação turística em terras indígenas)PDF with the text in Portuguese and an English translation
- official MPF — MPF obtém no TRF1 a manutenção das restrições à pesca esportiva irregular em Terras Indígenas no AmazonasSport fishing in Rio Negro indigenous lands only with a visitation plan approved by Funai
- press ISA — Circuito de turismo em Santa Isabel do Rio Negro (AM) será gerido por indígenas2016 news on community-based tourism in the Médio Rio Negro I and II and Rio Téa indigenous lands
- official Assembleia Legislativa do Amazonas — Lei estadual nº 7.208/2024 (altera a Lei 6.647/2023, pesca do tucunaré)Açu peacock bass, pinima and speckled pavon catch and release only in AM