paranaíba river — ipiaçu
The winding Paranaíba River, full of islands, on the border between Minas Gerais and Goiás, at the upper end of São Simão Lake. Fishing cabins, peacock bass, trahira and curimbatá.
Ipiaçu, in the Pontal do Triângulo Mineiro, has the Paranaíba River as its northern border with Goiás. It is a winding river with many islands, whose lower parts were covered by the São Simão hydroelectric plant's lake. According to the city government, there are about 80 fishing cabins along the banks, about 30 of them rented to tourists from São Paulo, Goiânia, Brasília and the region for sport fishing, and some people camp by the river. The crossing to Goiás is by the Gouveinha ferry, where river fish are served: peacock bass, trahira, curimbatá and surubim. It is cabin-based fishing, with a small boat between the islands and the banks.
best season
March to October, outside the spawning closure. Nov 1 to Feb 28, on the Minas Gerais bank, only non-native species, such as peacock bass.
Local rules: Spawning closure (piracema) in the Paranaíba basin from Nov 1 to Feb 28 (Portaria IEF 156/2011): on the Minas Gerais bank, only non-native species, up to 3 kg plus 1 specimen; fishing is banned within 500 m of confluences and in the Tijuco River up to the ferry between Santa Vitória and Ipiaçu. Surubim is a Vulnerable species: it may be caught only under the recovery plan, with a minimum size of 90 cm in the Paraná basin (PI MPA/MMA 15/2024). The opposite bank is Goiás, where the zero transport limit applies (IN Semad 17/2026). Check local rules.
- getting there
- About 760 km from Belo Horizonte; the nearest larger cities are Ituiutaba in Minas Gerais and Itumbiara in Goiás. Regional airport in Uberlândia.
- facilities
- Rental fishing cabins on the riverbank, camping areas, ferry to Goiás and a snack bar by the landing.
- basin
- Paraná
tip
Among the islands, peacock bass hold at the points and channel mouths with still water: topwater lures early in the morning, mid-water lures once the sun warms up.
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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 Prefeitura de Ipiaçu — História do municípioRental fishing cabins, sport-fishing tourists and fish served at the Gouveinha ferry
- official IEF-MG — Portaria nº 156/2011 (piracema nas bacias dos rios Grande e Paranaíba em Minas Gerais)Text of the portaria: only non-native species, 3 kg plus 1 specimen; prohibited stretches, such as the Tijuco River up to the ferry between Santa Vitória and Ipiaçu
- official MMA — Planos de recuperação para espécies aquáticas ameaçadas de extinçãoSurubim (Vulnerable): capture only under the rules of the recovery plan and PI MPA/MMA 15/2024
- official Casa Civil de Goiás — Instrução Normativa Semad nº 17/2026 (defeso e cota zero de transporte)Rules for the Goiás bank