MS: minimum 80 cm
80 cmMS
Minimum size for cachara in MS. Counts as the only native fish in the recreational bag limit.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.375/2020 (amends Decreto nº 15.166/2019), art. 9º - Semadesc/Imasul
catalog
Pimelodidae · predator
cachara
Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum
Freshwater
The striped sorubim of the Pantanal. Smaller than the pintado, more common along the shore and much sought in night drifting with tuvira.
Also called: cachara, surubim-cachara, surubim-tigre
- common size
- 60–90 cm
- maximum
- 120 cm
- common weight
- 3–10 kg
- record/max.
- 20.0 kg
- depth
- 1–10 m
- ideal water
- 24–30 °C
overview
who is the cachara
A leather catfish of the Pantanal and the Paraná, a close relative of the pintado. It is more abundant than it in many Pantanal rivers and comes closer to the shore, into the camalote mats and corixo mouths. At night it hunts tuviras, muçuns and small fish, using its barbels. During falling water it concentrates at bay outlets, the classic spots. It fights with strong pulls and tries to tangle in water hyacinth and submerged timber. It has strict rules: transport banned in MT, keeping banned in PR and a size window in MS.
fun facts
- In older laws it appears as Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum; the current name for the Plata basin is P. reticulatum.
- Crossed with the pintado in captivity, it produces the "ponto e vírgula" hybrid.
how to recognize it
identification
Long, flat head like the pintado's, but a little shorter. The flank has broad, wavy dark bands that join into a net, with pale areas between them and few spots. The pintado has many round spots and fine pale bands. The jurupoca has a duck-bill-shaped snout, a longer lower jaw and few large spots.
how cachara fishing looks
Loading the next 7 days…
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.
distribution
open on the large map where found
Rivers and bays of the Pantanal (Paraguay, Cuiabá, São Lourenço, Piquiri, Taquari, Negro, Miranda, Aquidauana) and the Paraná main channel.
Habitat: Bay and corixo mouths, shorelines with camalote mats, banks, backwaters and beaches at night; pools by day.
native to the basins
Paraguay (Pantanal)Paraná
states
Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Paraná
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: May and Aug–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Falling water (April to June) is already good, with water flowing out of the bays. The dry season (August to October) concentrates fish in the channels.
best time of day
Night and twilight. Active from dusk until dawn. At first light it still bites along the shore; by day, only on the bottom.
what affects the cachara
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
A cold snap (friagem) cuts activity; in the following days, fish deeper and slower.
atmospheric pressure
Best with muggy, stable weather.
moon
Dark nights favor the shoreline.
rain
Light rain doesn't bother it.
water level
Water draining from the bays into the river is the trigger: position the boat at the mouth.
noise
Anchor quietly and avoid knocking the hull.
wind
Little effect.
depth
Shoreline 1 to 3 m at night; pool 4 to 10 m by day.
how to fish
- rod
- 6' to 7', medium action, 20 to 40 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- baitcasting reel 200 to 300 or spinning reel 4000 to 5000
- line
- braid 40 to 65 lb
- leader
- monofilament 60 to 80 lb, 40 to 60 cm
- hook
- 5/0 to 8/0 maruseigo or circle hook; olive sinker 20 to 60 g
lures
- mid-water lure 10 to 13 cm
- 4 in. silicone shad on a jig head
natural baits
- tuvira
- muçum
- minhocuçu
- lambari
accessories
- alicate
- boga-grip
- headlamp
tip from an angler
Live tuvira hooked through the mouth, light sinker and boat drifting along the shore. Let it run before setting the hook.
ready-made kit
pantanal drifting and bank fishing (catfish)
Fishing for surubim catfish, cachara and jau catfish in the Pantanal and rivers of the Paraguay basin, with natural bait, drifting downriver by boat or staying still at the bank and in the pool.
guidehow to read the river
Where fish are in each type of water, from rapids and swirls to bay mouths and corixo channels, and how river level changes everything.
guidetrolling (rodada) and steep-bank fishing in the pantanal
How to rig your gear, choose bait, feel the bottom, decide between anchoring and trolling, the best times, and respect for fishing guides and riverside communities.
guideplanning a fishing trip
How to choose the season and destination, get licenses, choose between a live-aboard boat and a lodge, bring your rods, pack, and use the app's 14 to 28-day forecast to pick your dates.
rules for the cachara
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
MS: maximum 120 cm
120 cmMS
Above 120 cm catching is banned in MS.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.375/2020 (amends Decreto nº 15.166/2019), art. 9º - Semadesc/Imasul
Zero transport in MT: cachara on the banned list
transport, storage and trade banned until Dec 31, 2028MT
Art. 19-B bans for 5 years (since Jan 1, 2024) transporting, storing and trading cachara caught in rivers of MT. Recreational anglers may only keep up to 2 kg or 1 fish for consumption on site (within 500 m of the river), and art. 19-C excludes the species from art. 19-B: in practice, for this species, catch and release only. The law provides for an evaluation after 3 years (2027) that may revise the list. List checked in the consolidated text published by Sema-MT on May 29, 2026; Law 13.159/2025 did not change the list.
Source: Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, arts. 19-B and 19-C (added by Lei nº 12.434/2024) - Sema-MT
PR: catch and release only
possession, keeping and transport bannedPR
In PR the cachara is among the species with possession, keeping and transport banned in inland waters.
Paraná basin: minimum 70 cm
70 cmSPMGGOParaná
Federal minimum size for cachara sorubim in the Paraná basin. The stricter state rule prevails.
Source: Instrução Normativa Ibama nº 26/2009 (fishing rules for the Paraná River basin), Annex
Mato Grosso: Zero Transport for 12 species
MTParaguay (Pantanal)AmazonTocantins-Araguaia
Transport, storage and sale are fully prohibited for 5 years from Jan 1, 2024 for: cachara, caparari, dorado, jaú, matrinchã (Brycon spp.), pintado/surubim (Pseudoplatystoma spp.), piraíba, piraputanga, pirarara, arapaima (pirarucu), trairão and peacock bass (tucunaré, Cichla spp.). For recreational anglers: catch and release only. These 12 species may not even be eaten on site, since the 2 kg or 1 fish limit excludes the art. 19-B list. The law cites jaú as Zungaro zungaro; we also include the Pantanal jaú (Z. jahu) out of caution. The list may still change: § 2 (exotic and predatory species), § 3 (review through study) and the 3-year assessment planned for 2027. A TJMT news report of Jun 2, 2026 confirms the 12 prohibited species. The STF denied a preliminary injunction in the ADIs against the law in 2024; we found no merits ruling.
Paraná: jaú, pintado, cachara, dorado and piracanjuba catch and release only
PRParanáSoutheast Atlantic
Possession, killing and transport of these species are prohibited in Paraná's inland waters (Paraná and Atlantic Southeast basins, except the Iguaçu River and the coast). Catch and release only, with immediate release at the same spot.
Minimum size: 80 cm (max. 120 cm)
MSParaguay (Pantanal)Paraná
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 9º (as amended by Decreto nº 15.375/2020)
Minimum size: 80 cm
MTParaguay (Pantanal)
Minimum size: 70 cm
SPPRMGGOMSDFParaná
Source: IN IBAMA nº 26/2009, Annex (Paraná River basin; stricter state rules prevail)
Minimum size: 80 cm
MG
Minimum size: 60 cm (max. 80 cm)
GOTocantins-Araguaia
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I, Araguaia-Tocantins basin (on-site consumption only; zero transport)
piracema closures in the basins where the species lives
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná River basin
01/11 to 28/02SPPRMGGOMSDF
Allowed: Recreational fishing only for non-native species and hybrids (peacock bass, tilapia, black bass, carp, croaker, etc.; piauçu remains prohibited), with handline, simple pole, or rod with spinning or baitcasting reel, up to 10 kg + 1 fish. In rivers, from shore only; in reservoirs, from a boat or from shore. Prohibited: floodplain lakes, aquatic-animal bait, within 1,500 m of dams and waterfalls, and within 500 m of confluences. Tournaments only in reservoirs and only with non-native species.
Source: IN IBAMA nº 25/2009
Spawning closure (piracema) in Minas Gerais (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02MG
Allowed: Only exotic or hybrid species, 3 kg + 1 fish per day, with handline, rod, simple pole, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Nets prohibited. Keep the minimum distances from dams and reservoirs.
Source: Portarias IEF nº 154/2011 (São Francisco), 155/2011 (East) and 156/2011 (Grande/Paranaíba)
Closed season in Goiás (state rule)
01/11 to 28/02GO
Allowed: Sport and guided fishing only in reservoirs, catch and release with barbless hooks (no keeping, transporting or eating). Subsistence: up to 5 kg per day, for household consumption only.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul
05/11 to 28/02MS
Allowed: Subsistence fishing by riverside residents and authorized scientific fishing. Decree 15.166/2019 (art. 11, §5) allows catch and release only in February and only in the channels of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. For the rest of the period, not even catch and release is allowed. Check the Imasul portaria for each season.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 11; IN IBAMA nº 201/2008
Spawning closure (piracema) in Mato Grosso (all basins)
01/10 to 31/01MT
Allowed: All fishing modalities are prohibited in rivers, including catch and release (Law 9.096/2009, art. 19-A). Exceptions: subsistence fishing from shore (3 kg or 1 fish, no transport or sale) and scientific fishing. Law 13.159/2025 now allows licensed sport fishing in UHE/PCH hydropower reservoirs, natural lakes and border rivers, subject to a scientific study and a license from the environmental agency. We have not confirmed whether these licenses are already being issued.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Support the body with both hands and avoid the pectoral spines. Release it into the current without tossing the fish.
in the kitchen
White, boneless flesh, like the pintado's. Grilled steaks or moqueca.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00589, b = 3.1; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana pela forma da subfamília)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official Portaria MMA nº 148, de 7 de junho de 2022 — atualização da Lista Nacional de Espécies Ameaçadas de ExtinçãoPrevious national list, cited in this species' conservation history.
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2024. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 21/12/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Buitrago-Suárez, U. A.; Burr, B. M. (2007). Taxonomy of the catfish genus Pseudoplatystoma Bleeker (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) with recognition of eight species. Zootaxa 1512: 1–38.Includes P. corruscans, P. reticulatum, P. tigrinum and P. punctifer, among others.
- scientific Ota, R. R.; Deprá, G. C.; Graça, W. J.; Pavanelli, C. S. (2018). Peixes da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná e áreas adjacentes: revised, annotated and updated. Neotropical Ichthyology 16(2): e170094.Annotated list of species of the upper Paraná River, indicating native and non-native ones. Open access; species name checked in the text.
