MS: minimum 45 cm
45 cmMS
Minimum size for pacu 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
Serrasalmidae · omnivore
pacu
Piaractus mesopotamicus
FreshwaterIUCN global: NT · near threatened
The fruit eater of the Pantanal. Caught by batida (tapping the water with the rod), under the trees, or with crab. Pulls hard and dives into submerged timber.
Also called: pacu, pacu-caranha, caranha, pacu-guaçu
- common size
- 40–60 cm
- maximum
- 70 cm
- common weight
- 2–6 kg
- record/max.
- 20.0 kg
- depth
- 0.5–6 m
- ideal water
- 24–30 °C
overview
who is the pacu
A deep-bodied, round fish that eats fruit, seeds, crabs and small animals. In high water it enters the flooded forest after what falls from the trees; in the dry season it returns to the river and the pools. Batida fishing was born from it: the sound of the rod on the water imitates a falling fruit. It is strong, with short, violent runs, and heads straight for snags. It is also the base of pay lakes and fish farming in the Center-South, along with tambacu. In rivers, big fish have become rare in many stretches. In MS a 45 to 65 cm window applies, which protects breeders.
fun facts
- Disperses seeds: many riparian trees depend on pacu to spread their fruit.
- Batida fishing imitates the sound of fruit falling into the water.
- It is one of the parents of the tambacu, a hybrid with the tambaqui raised in fish farming.
how to recognize it
identification
Tall, disc-shaped body, dark grey to nearly black. Paler belly, often with a yellowish or orange tone. Small mouth with molar-like teeth, not razor-sharp. The tambaqui has a black lower half and a larger head. The tambacu falls in between. The piranha has sharp triangular teeth and a protruding lower jaw.
how pacu 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
Pantanal (Paraguay, Cuiabá, São Lourenço, Miranda, Aquidauana, Taquari) and the Paraná River. In the upper Paraná and in reservoirs it is common through stocking. Found in pay lakes across the Center-South.
Habitat: Shorelines with fruit trees (ingá, fig, tarumã), camalote mats, bays and corixos in high water; pools and backwaters of the river in the dry season.
native to the basins
Paraguay (Pantanal)ParanáUruguay
states
Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Paraná, Goiás, Minas Gerais
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
The rise and high water, with fruit falling, are the biological peak. March and April, already outside the closed season, are usually excellent for batida fishing. Cold winter cuts activity.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Feeds by day, most active in the morning and late afternoon. On very hot days it does well early at night.
what affects the pacu
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
Very sensitive. Water below 22 °C leaves the pacu inactive.
atmospheric pressure
Hot, muggy weather is best.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Light rain knocks down fruit and can activate the fish.
water level
Rising water flowing into the brush spreads the pacu along the shore; falling water concentrates them in pools.
noise
Batida is controlled noise. Motors, loud talk and knocks on the boat scare fish away.
wind
Strong wind knocks fruit down, but makes precise batida harder.
depth
Shallow along the shore (0.5 to 2 m) for batida; pool of 3 to 6 m in the dry season.
how to fish
- rod
- Batida: long rod of 3.5 to 4.5 m (bamboo or telescopic) with short line. Casting: 6' to 7', 15 to 30 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 3000 to 4000 or baitcasting reel 100 to 200
- line
- monofilament 0.40 to 0.50 mm or braided line 30 lb
- leader
- monofilament or fluorocarbon 50 to 60 lb, 30 to 50 cm
- hook
- short and thick, 1/0 to 4/0, chinu or maruseigo type
lures
- EVA or rubber fruit baits
- artificial pellet at pay lakes
natural baits
- caranguejo
- native fruit (laranjinha-de-pacu, tucum, ingá)
- boiled green corn
- minhocuçu
- massa
accessories
- alicate
- boga-grip
- luva
tip from an angler
Tap the rod tip 3 or 4 times on the water, close to the brush, and let the bait sink. Wait for a firm pull to set the hook and don't let the fish get into the submerged timber.
ready-made kit
first fishing trip (cheap beginner kit)
For anyone who's never fished and wants a simple kit for a pay lake, lake, reservoir or calm river, with natural bait.
ready-made kitpay-to-fish lake
Pay-to-fish lakes with tilapia, tambacu and pacu, fishing from the bank with paste, feed and a feeder float. Great for families and for practice.
ready-made kittap-fishing for pacu
Boat fishing along flooded forest edges or banks with fruit trees, tapping the rod tip on the water to imitate falling fruit. A classic in the Pantanal during high water and early falling water.
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 pacu
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: Fishing pressure and dams have reduced large specimens in the rivers.
MS: maximum 65 cm
65 cmMS
Above 65 cm catching is banned in MS: large breeders must go back into the water.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.375/2020 (amends Decreto nº 15.166/2019), art. 9º - Semadesc/Imasul
MT: minimum 45 cm
45 cmMTParaguay (Pantanal)
Pacu is not on the zero-transport list. Recreational anglers may keep up to 2 kg or 1 fish for consumption on site (within 500 m of the river), respecting 45 cm. Transport and sale by anglers remain banned.
Paraná basin: minimum 45 cm
45 cmSPPRMGGOParaná
Federal minimum size for pacu-caranha in the Paraná basin. In MG, IEF Portaria 111/2003 sets 30 cm, but in the Paraná basin the stricter rule applies.
Source: Instrução Normativa Ibama nº 26/2009 (fishing rules for the Paraná River basin), Annex
Minimum size: 45 cm (max. 65 cm)
MSParaguay (Pantanal)Paraná
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 9º (as amended by Decreto nº 15.375/2020)
Minimum size: 45 cm
MTParaguay (Pantanal)
Minimum size: 45 cm
SPPRMGGOMSDFParaná
Source: IN IBAMA nº 26/2009, Annex (Paraná River basin; stricter state rules prevail)
Minimum size: 45 cm (max. 62 cm)
PRParanáSoutheast Atlantic
Source: Portaria IAT nº 650/2025, Annex I (interior basins of PR, except Iguazu and coastal)
Minimum size: 30 cm
MG
Minimum size: 35 cm (max. 45 cm)
GOParaná
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I, Paranaíba 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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Uruguay River basin
01/10 to 31/01RSSC
Allowed: Recreational fishing from shore, or from a boat without motor. Only handline or rod, line and hook, one gear per angler, up to 5 kg. Prohibited in floodplain lakes, within 1,500 m of dams, within 500 m of confluences, and in stretches listed in the rule (e.g., Turvo River).
Source: IN IBAMA nº 193/2008
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.
Strong teeth: use pliers and keep your fingers away from the mouth. Hold it by the tail and belly, horizontally, and release it in the water.
in the kitchen
Fatty, tasty flesh. Pacu ribs over coals and stuffed baked pacu are Mato Grosso classics.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.058309, b = 3.0; FishBase; coeficiente a ajustado ao porte máximo registrado). 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 — Piaractus mesopotamicus (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 Piaractus mesopotamicus (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2024. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Piaractus mesopotamicus (avaliação global: Quase Ameaçada, NT, 21/12/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Britski, H. A.; Silimon, K. Z. S.; Lopes, B. S. (2007). Peixes do Pantanal: manual de identificação. 2ª ed. Brasília: Embrapa Informação Tecnológica. 227 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
- scientific Jégu, M. (2003). Serrasalminae (pacus and piranhas). In: Reis, R. E.; Kullander, S. O.; Ferraris Jr., C. J. (orgs.). Check List of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, p. 182–196.Printed book chapter; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites the chapter for the species.
- 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.
