Federal minimum size (50 cm) in the Southeast and South
50 cm (TL)ESRJSPPRSCRSSoutheast CoastSouth Coast
Prohibited to fish for, keep on board or land snook under 50 cm total length on the coast of ES, RJ, SP, PR, SC and RS.
catalog
Centropomidae · predator
common snook
Centropomus undecimalis
EstuarySea
Brazil's largest snook and the prize of coastal fishing. Hunts with the tide running at inlets, mangroves and rocky shores.
Also called: robalo-flecha, robalo-flexa, camurim (Nordeste)
- common size
- 50–90 cm
- maximum
- 140 cm
- common weight
- 2–8 kg
- record/max.
- 24.0 kg
- depth
- 0.5–20 m
- ideal water
- 24–29 °C
overview
who is the common snook
The fleche snook (robalo-flecha) is the largest centropomid in the Atlantic and the trophy fish of Brazilian coastal fishing. It lives on the border between sea and river: inlets, mangrove channels, surf beaches, rocky shores and bridge pilings. It tolerates fresh water and swims up rivers for kilometres. It hunts by ambush, almost always with the tide running, eating shrimp, small mullet, anchovy and crab. Large ones, over 10 kg, appear in summer at the inlets and rocky shores, when they gather to spawn. It is hermaphroditic: it starts life as a male and the largest turn into females, which is why releasing big fish protects reproduction. It fights with head shakes, jumps and runs for structure, and cuts thin line on barnacles and rock.
fun facts
- Born male and turns female as it grows: the largest are usually females.
- Tolerates fresh water, and has been recorded dozens of kilometres upriver.
- Below about 10 °C it can die of cold, which limits its presence in Rio Grande do Sul.
how to recognize it
identification
Long, slender body, long pointed snout, projecting lower jaw. Thick black lateral line from the gill cover to the end of the tail, a mark of all snook. Greenish-grey back, silver flanks, yellowish pelvic fins. Difference from the peva snook: the fleche is more elongated, with a longer head, and easily passes 70 cm; the peva has a deeper body, smaller scales, a proportionally larger eye and rarely exceeds 60 cm.
how common snook 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
The whole coast from Amapá to Santa Catarina, most common from the Northeast to Paraná. It enters estuaries, coastal lagoons and rivers, such as the Ribeira de Iguape (SP), the Paraíba do Sul (RJ), the Doce (ES) and the lower São Francisco. Rare in Rio Grande do Sul.
Habitat: River mouths, mangrove channels and creeks, surf beaches and rocky shores, jetties and bridge pilings.
native to the basins
Western Northeast AtlanticParnaíbaEastern Northeast AtlanticSão FranciscoEast AtlanticSoutheast AtlanticSouth Atlantic
coast
North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastcoastal
states
Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Oct–Mar
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
In the South and Southeast the strong season runs from October to March; large ones come into inlets and rocky shores in summer. In winter, cold fronts shut down the bite. In the Northeast it bites all year, with peaks during the rains, when the river pushes shrimp to the inlet. Respect the state closed seasons (PR, ES, BA).
best time of day
Dawn and dusk. Peaks at dawn and dusk, when the light fades and the tide is running. At night it bites at lit spots. By day, only in murky water, overcast skies or strong tide.
what affects the common snook
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 tropical fish. Water below 18 °C shuts down the bite; a strong cold front in the South can kill snook in shallow lagoons.
atmospheric pressure
Pre-frontal, with falling pressure and a northeast wind, often gives a peak. Post-frontal, with blue sky and cold, is poor.
moon
Full and new moons give larger tidal ranges and more bait on the move. At night, the new moon favors fishing under artificial light.
rain
Light drizzle and overcast skies help. Thunderstorm with lightning: get out of the water.
water level
A high river pushes muddy water toward the inlet: fish the line where clear and dirty water meet. Too strong a flood scares them off.
noise
Very wary in shallow, clear water. Turn off the engine well away from the spot, use paddle or electric motor and don't light up the water.
wind
Surf on the beach helps the snook hunt in the breakers. A south wind with a cold front shuts it down.
tide
It depends on moving water. The rising tide brings clear water and schools inside: fish the mangrove creek mouths and the mangrove edge. The falling tide pulls shrimp out of the mangroves: time for the channel mouths and the inlet, and the first hours are usually the best. At slack water it stops; use that time to change spots.
depth
Shallow (0.5 to 3 m) at high tide in mangroves and beaches; channel holes, pilings and rocks (4 to 10 m) at low tide and in cold weather.
how to fish
Mid-water castingSurface castingNatural bait with floatNatural bait on the bottomRocky shoreBeach fishingFly fishing
- rod
- 6'0" to 7'0", fast action, 12 to 25 lb in the estuary; 9 to 11 feet on rocks and the beach
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- 3000 to 4000 spinning reel or low-profile baitcaster; firm drag but not locked
- line
- braid 20 to 30 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb, 1 to 1.5 m (pilings and barnacles cut it)
- hook
- wide gap or circle 1/0 to 4/0 for live bait; reinforced treble hooks on artificials
lures
- mid-water minnow 9 to 12 cm
- shrimp (artificial shrimp) 8 to 10 cm
- jig head 1/4 to 1/2 oz with shad
- zara in shallow water at dawn
- small popper
natural baits
- live shrimp
- live anchovy or sardine
- live small mullet or parati
- small siri crab (corrupto)
accessories
- long-nose pliers
- boga-grip
- large landing net
- headlamp with red light
tip from an angler
Live shrimp drifting on a float with the falling tide along the mangrove bank is the surest bait. Let the bait drift naturally; after the hookset, hold firm for the first few metres to get the fish out of the pilings.
ready-made kit
rocky shore (sargo, snook and bluefish)
Walk-in fishing on rocky shores, with natural bait on the bottom and artificial lures in the foam, always in calm sea.
ready-made kitsnook in mangroves and estuaries
Boat or kayak fishing in mangroves, channels, brackish rivers and under bridges, with artificial lures and live shrimp, following the tide.
guidehow to read a rod: action, power and line rating
What the numbers and letters engraved on the rod mean, and how to match rod, line, lure and reel for each kind of fishing.
guideprecision casting
Overhead, sidearm, pitching, flipping and skipping: when to use each, how to aim at structure, and why the first cast to a spot is the one that gets the most bites.
guidefly fishing in brazil: first steps
How to choose gear by its number, rig the backing, line, leader and tippet, make a basic cast, and which flies to use for peacock bass, golden dorado and snook.
rules for the common snook
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 of threatened species (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026).
Paraná: closed season, size window and quota
killing and keeping prohibited in November and December01/11 to 31/12PRSouth Coast
On the coast and in the inland waters of Paraná, it is prohibited to kill and keep fleche snook (robalo-flecha) and peva snook (robalo-peva) in November and December. Outside the closed season, fleche snook may only be kept between 60 and 70 cm (recreational), and the recreational quota is 7 fish per species. Professional: minimum 60 cm.
Source: Resolução CEMA nº 91/2013 (State Environment Council of Paraná)
Espírito Santo: snook closed season
fishing prohibited from May 1 to June 3001/05 to 30/06ESSoutheast Coastconfirm with the agency
Snook fishing is prohibited on the coast and in the inland waters of Espírito Santo from May 1 to June 30. Dates taken from a summary of the text; confirm with Ibama-ES before fishing.
Bahia: state snook closed season
ends on 31/07BANortheast Coastconfirm with the agency
The Bahia government announces a snook closed season running to July 31. It was not possible to confirm the start date or the rule number: confirm with the competent agency (SEMA/INEMA-BA).
Source: Government of Bahia (official notice; rule not confirmed)
Gulf of Mexico (MX): snook closed season, July 1 to August 15
fishing prohibited from July 1 to August 1501/07 to 15/08
In federal waters off the coast of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco and Campeche, catching prieto snook, fleche snook (robalo blanco) and peva snook (chucumite) is prohibited from July 1 to August 15 each year, during spawning. The sport fishing rule prohibits fishing in closed areas and seasons, so the rule also applies to recreational anglers.
Snook (robalo) closed season in Bahia
15/05 to 31/07BANortheast Coast
Catching, transporting and selling snook (robalo) in Bahia are prohibited.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 49-N/1992; 2026 closed-season calendar of Sema-BA
Snook (robalo) closed season in Espírito Santo
01/05 to 30/06ESSoutheast Coastconfirm with the agency
Snook (robalo) closed season in ES for any gear. Tournaments targeting snook are prohibited from May 1 to Aug 31. In April, July and August, only the gear listed in the IN may be used.
Source: IN IBAMA nº 10/2009
Minimum size: 50 cm
ESRJSPPRSCRSSoutheast CoastSouth Coast
Source: IN MMA nº 53/2005 (coast from ES to RS; total length)
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.
Don't hold it by the gill cover: the edge of the preopercle is serrated and cuts. Use a lip grip on the lower lip and support the body horizontally; a large fish should not hang from its mouth alone. Revive it facing the current until it swims off on its own.
in the kitchen
One of the noblest fish on the coast: white, firm meat with no intramuscular bones. Grilled, baked whole in coarse salt, or in moqueca.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00724, b = 3.03; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). 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 — Centropomus undecimalis (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 ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Centropomus undecimalis (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Centropomus undecimalis (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 08/02/2019)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Rivas, L. R. (1986). Systematic review of the perciform fishes of the genus Centropomus. Copeia 1986(3): 579–611.
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Chapter Centropomidae (Orrell, T. M.).
