MG: minimum 30 cm
30 cmMGSão Francisco
Minimum size for corvina (Pachyurus francisci) in Minas Gerais.
Source: Portaria IEF-MG nº 111/2003 (IEF minimum size table)
catalog
Sciaenidae · predator
san francisco croaker
Pachyurus francisci
Freshwater
The corvina native to the São Francisco, with its mouth under the snout. A sand-bottom fish, good eating and common in bank fishing.
Also called: corvina, curvina, corvina-de-água-doce, pescada, sofia
- common size
- 20–30 cm
- maximum
- 36 cm
- common weight
- 0.1–0.5 kg
- record/max.
- 0.8 kg
- depth
- 1–8 m
- ideal water
- 23–29 °C
overview
who is the san francisco croaker
Freshwater croaker endemic to the São Francisco basin, a relative of the corvinas and croakers of the sea. It lives in the channel and in eddies over sandy bottoms, where it feeds close to the bottom. It is commercially valuable in the region and a common catch for bottom anglers using worms and shrimp. The IUCN global assessment rates it Data Deficient. Don't confuse it with the pescada-do-piauí (Plagioscion squamosissimus), which has a large terminal mouth and also appears in São Francisco reservoirs.
fun facts
- Like other croakers, it can make drumming sounds with its swim bladder.
- Pachyurus means thick tail.
how to recognize it
identification
Elongated, silvery body, rounded snout projecting over the mouth, which sits underneath. Lateral line extending onto the tail and a dorsal fin split in two. The pescada-do-piauí has a large mouth at the tip of the snout and canine teeth.
how san francisco croaker 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
Endemic to the São Francisco basin, from the main channel in Minas Gerais to the lower course.
Habitat: Channel and eddies with sandy bottoms; reservoirs.
native to the basins
São Francisco
states
Minas Gerais, Bahia, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Sep–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Bites all year; best during falling water and with a clear river, August to October.
best time of day
Dawn and dusk. Most active at dawn and dusk, near the bottom.
what affects the san francisco croaker
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
Strong cold reduces the bite.
atmospheric pressure
A cold front shuts down activity for a day or two.
moon
Little effect.
rain
Little effect, except in very muddy water.
water level
Stable or falling river.
noise
Moderately sensitive.
wind
Little effect.
depth
Bottom, 1 to 6 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 6' to 6'6", medium action, 8 to 17 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2000 to 3000
- line
- monofilament 0.25 to 0.30 mm
- leader
- optional
- hook
- #2 to 1/0
lures
- small jig dragged along the bottom
natural baits
- minhoca
- shrimp
- piece of fish
accessories
- olive sinker
tip from an angler
Lure dragged slowly along the sandy bottom late in the afternoon.
rules for the san francisco croaker
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). Global IUCN assessment: Data Deficient (DD).
piracema closures in the basins where the species lives
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 São Francisco River basin (rivers and reservoirs)
01/11 to 28/02MGBAPEALSEGODF
Allowed: Recreational fishing from a boat or from shore with handline, rod, spinning or baitcasting reel, up to 5 kg + 1 fish. Prohibited within 1,000 m of dams, waterfalls and rapids, and within 500 m of confluences. Floodplain lakes have a longer closed season (see next item).
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007
São Francisco: floodplain lakes
01/11 to 30/04MGBAPEALSEGODF
Allowed: No fishing in the floodplain lakes during the period.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007
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.
Bottom fish: reel in slowly, unhook in the water and release.
in the kitchen
White, soft flesh; fried as fillets or steaks.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00776, b = 3.15; FishBase). 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 — Pachyurus francisci (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).
- scientific IUCN Red List — Pachyurus francisci (avaliação global: Dados Insuficientes, DD, 30/07/2019)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- official IEF-MG — Tamanhos mínimos de captura de peixes (Portaria IEF nº 111/2003)Official IEF table with common and scientific names; checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific Pessali, T. C. et al. (2022). Length-weight relationships of 78 fish species from São Francisco River basin, Brazil. Journal of Applied Ichthyology.Length-weight relationship and maximum size used in FishBase for the species.
