paraná river — foz do iguaçu
The Paraná River below Itaipu, between the dam and the Três Fronteiras Landmark. Dorado, surubim, jaú and piapara in deep, fast water.
Below the Itaipu dam, the Paraná River runs between basalt walls until it receives the Iguaçu at the Marco das Três Fronteiras, where Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina meet. The Brazilian shore is Foz do Iguaçu, and the Ponte da Amizade (Friendship Bridge) links the city with Ciudad del Este in Paraguay. It is a wide, deep, fast river, fished mostly from boats: surubim, jaú and armado in the bottom of pools and eddies, dorado on the rocks and at the drop-offs of the current, piapara and pacu for chum. On the Paraná, dorado, surubim and jaú are catch-and-release fish.
best season
From autumn to early winter, and in September and October, before the spawning closure. From Nov 1 to Feb 28, fishing in the basin's rivers is only from the bank and only for non-native species.
Local rules: On the Paraná, dorado fishing is banned for eight years, except catch and release (state law 19.789/2018, in force since 2019), and Portaria IAT 650/2025 requires releasing jaú, surubim, cachara, dorado and piracanjuba in state waters; on the Paraná River, which is federal water, federal rules also apply. Surubim is Vulnerable on the national list and may only be kept within the recovery plan, with a minimum of 90 cm in the Paraná basin (PI MPA/MMA 15/2024). Spawning closure (piracema) from Nov 1 to Feb 28 (IN Ibama 25/2009): in rivers, only bank fishing and only non-native species; fishing is banned within 1,500 m of the Itaipu dam, within 500 m of the Iguaçu mouth, in the whole Iguaçu River and around Iguaçu National Park. Do not enter the dam's marked areas. The river is a border: on the other side, Paraguayan and Argentine laws and licenses apply. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Foz do Iguaçu has an international airport with scheduled flights; from Curitiba, via BR-277.
- facilities
- Tourist city with a large hotel network and services; there are sport fishing guides who work on the Paraná and the Iguaçu, generally on catch and release.
- basin
- Paraná
tip
In the canyon current, use enough sinker to keep the bait on the bottom and look for the eddies behind the rocks; for dorado, mid-water lures at the drop-offs of the current.
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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 Casa Civil do Paraná — Lei estadual nº 19.789/2018 (proibição da captura do dourado)Dorado banned in Paraná for eight years, except catch and release
- official IAT — Portaria IAT nº 650/2025 (pesca amadora e profissional nas bacias do Paraná)Jaú, surubim, cachara, dorado and piracanjuba on catch and release only; federal waters follow federal rules
- official Ibama — Defesos continentaisSpawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná basin (IN Ibama 25/2009): distances from dams and confluences, Iguaçu River and the Iguaçu National Park surroundings
- official MMA — Planos de recuperação para espécies aquáticas ameaçadas de extinçãoSurubim: recovery plan and minimum sizes by basin (PI MPA/MMA 15/2024)