Colombia: minimum size of 35 cm
35 cm standard length
In the Magdalena, Cauca and San Jorge basin, picuda (Salminus affinis) may only be kept at 35 cm standard length.
Source: Resolución INDERENA nº 025/1971 (AUNAP minimum size table in force)
catalog
Bryconidae · predator
dourado-do-magdalena
Salminus affinis
Freshwater
The golden dorado of the Magdalena basin and Colombian Caribbean rivers: silvery, with a red tail cut by a black band. Vulnerable in Colombia, it has a minimum size of 35 cm.
Also called: dourado-do-magdalena, picuda, rubio, dorada
- common size
- 30–45 cm
- maximum
- 80 cm
- common weight
- 0.4–1.5 kg
- record/max.
- 2.3 kg
- depth
- 0.5–5 m
- ideal water
- 24–29 °C
overview
who is the dourado-do-magdalena
A relative of the Brazilian dourado, but smaller: FishBase records 46.5 cm standard length and 2.3 kg, plus an 80 cm fish caught on a rod in the Nare River, a tributary of the Magdalena. It lives in rivers of the Magdalena-Cauca basin (such as La Miel, Samaná, Sogamoso, San Jorge and Cesar) and in Colombian Caribbean rivers (Sinú and Ranchería), plus the Santiago River in Ecuador. It preys on fish in flowing water. In Puerto Berrío, on the Magdalena, the biggest catches came in January and February, in the year's first low-water period. It is on the Colombian red list as Vulnerable, and in the Ranchería basin as Endangered. In sport fishing it hits spoons, jigs and mid-water lures in rapids, leaping like a dourado.
fun facts
- In Colombia it has many names: picuda, rubio, rubia, salmón, dorada and, on the Cauca River, rayada.
- The genus Salminus has few species; in Brazil live the golden dorado, the dourado-do-são-francisco and the tabarana.
how to recognize it
identification
Elongated, silvery body, scales with small reddish spots, red tail with a horizontal black band that extends a little onto the peduncle, reddish anal fin and a horizontal black band behind the eye, over the gill cover. Has 68 to 79 lateral line scales. It is the only Salminus in the region; in Colombia, the name dorada is also used for another fish, the sardinata (Brycon moorei).
how dourado-do-magdalena 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
Does not occur in Brazil. Colombia: Magdalena-Cauca basin and Caribbean rivers (Sinú and Ranchería); Ecuador: Santiago River basin. FishBase considers the record in Peru a misidentification.
Habitat: Flowing-water rivers, rapids and pools, in lowland and piedmont areas.
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Aug and Dec–Mar
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Low water, mainly January and February on the Magdalena; in high water, muddy water scatters the fish.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Hunts by day, with peaks early and late in the afternoon in the rapids.
what affects the dourado-do-magdalena
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
Little relevance in the region.
atmospheric pressure
Stable weather helps.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Heavy rain muddies the river and shuts down fishing.
water level
Low, clear water: the best scenario.
noise
Moderate: approach the rapids with care.
wind
Little effect.
depth
Mid-water and surface, in the rapids and pool outflows.
how to fish
- rod
- 6' to 7', fast action, 10 to 20 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 3000 or low-profile baitcasting reel 100
- line
- braid 20 to 30 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 30 to 40 lb or 15 cm fine steel wire leader
- hook
- reinforced treble hooks 1 to 1/0; barbless preferred
lures
- spoon, 10 to 20 g
- bucktail jig 1/4 oz
- mid-water minnow 7 to 10 cm
- streamer for fly rod #7 to #8
natural baits
- small live fish
accessories
- long-nose pliers
- boga-grip
tip from an angler
Cast above the rapid and retrieve the lure across the fast water. Keep the line tight during the jumps.
rules for the dourado-do-magdalena
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: In Colombia, the Libro Rojo (2012) classifies it as Vulnerable (VU) and, in the Ranchería River basin, as Endangered (EN). Prefer to release it.
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.
A strong, jumping fish: remove the hook quickly, support the body and release it facing the current.
in the kitchen
White, tasty flesh. Respect the minimum size and, given the species' status, prefer to release it.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00912, b = 3.09; 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 — Salminus affinis (ficha da espécie)Distribution (Magdalena and Santiago River, in Ecuador), maximum size and weight, 80 cm record from the Nare River, length-weight relationship and country list (Peru marked as a misidentification). Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Salminus affinis (avaliação global: Dados Insuficientes, DD, 11/04/2023)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- official Mojica, J. I.; Usma, J. S.; Álvarez-León, R.; Lasso, C. A. (eds.) (2012). Libro rojo de peces dulceacuícolas de Colombia 2012. Instituto Humboldt, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, WWF Colombia e Universidad de Manizales.Species profile of S. affinis: national category VU (A2c,d) and EN in the Ranchería basin, common names, diagnosis (red tail with black band, band behind the eye, 68 to 79 scales), distribution and catch season in Puerto Berrío. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- official AUNAP — Normatividad tallas mínimas vigentesPicuda, picúa (Salminus affinis): 35 cm standard length, Resolución INDERENA 025/1971. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific Zuluaga-Gómez, A. et al. (2014). Length-weight relationships of 33 selected fish species from the Cauca River Basin, trans-Andean region, Colombia. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 30: 1077-1080.Source of the maximum length and weight cited by FishBase.
