MG: minimum 35 cm
35 cmMG
Minimum catch size for tabarana in MG waters.
Source: Portaria IEF-MG nº 111/2003 (minimum catch sizes in MG) - IEF/Semad-MG
catalog
Bryconidae · predator
tabarana
Salminus hilarii
Freshwater
The silver cousin of the golden dorado. Smaller, but just as aggressive in clear, fast-flowing rivers. Excellent on light tackle and fly.
Also called: tabarana, tubarana, dourado-branco
- common size
- 30–45 cm
- maximum
- 60 cm
- common weight
- 0.5–1.5 kg
- record/max.
- 2.0 kg
- depth
- 0.3–4 m
- ideal water
- 20–27 °C
overview
who is the tabarana
A predator of smaller rivers with cleaner water than the golden dorado, common in headwaters and tributaries of the upper Paraná and São Francisco. It lives in small schools in rapids and pools below waterfalls, hunting lambaris and insects. It strikes small lures fast and jumps like the golden dorado. It rarely exceeds 2 kg, so it calls for light tackle. It suffers from dams, bank deforestation and pollution; in several rivers of the interior of São Paulo and Minas it has become rare. It is a catch-and-release fish.
fun facts
- In some rivers it is called white golden dorado.
- It needs clean, fast water: it is a good indicator of a healthy river.
how to recognize it
identification
Shaped like a golden dorado, but slimmer and smaller. Silver body with olive back and faint golden sheen. Reddish tail with a central black band. The dorado is a vivid gold-yellow and much deeper-bodied. The piraputanga has a small mouth and a black spot on the caudal peduncle, with no visible conical teeth.
how tabarana 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
Tributaries of the upper Paraná (Grande, Pardo, Mogi-Guaçu, Piracicaba, Paranapanema, Paranaíba) and of the São Francisco in MG. Most common in rapids stretches still free of dams.
Habitat: Rapids and pools of medium and small rivers, clear water, rock and gravel, intact riparian forest.
native to the basins
ParanáSão Francisco
states
São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Paraná
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Sep–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Low, clear water from autumn to spring. September and October, before the piracema (spawning closure), tend to be the best.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Active by day, with peaks early and late in the afternoon.
what affects the tabarana
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
Water below 18 °C makes the tabarana sluggish.
atmospheric pressure
Stable weather is better.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Small rivers muddy quickly with rain; wait for them to clear.
water level
Low, clear water concentrates fish in the rapids.
noise
Very wary in clear water. Walk slowly along the bank and avoid casting shadows over the pool.
wind
Little effect on small rivers.
depth
Shallow, 0.3 to 2 m in the rapids; pool in the heat.
how to fish
- rod
- 5' to 6', fast action, 6 to 14 lb; fly #5 to #7
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 1000 to 2500 or light baitcasting reel
- line
- braided line 10 to 20 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb, 40 cm
- hook
- small treble hooks #4 to 1, preferably barbless
lures
- spinner #2 and #3
- small spoon 5 to 10 g
- minnow 5 to 7 cm
- white and silver streamer
natural baits
- live lambari
accessories
- alicate
- polarized glasses
- rubber-mesh passaguá
tip from an angler
Cast upstream and retrieve a little faster than the current. A silver spinner is the most consistent lure.
rules for the tabarana
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: Rare in many rivers of the interior of São Paulo and Minas due to dams and riparian forest degradation.
Minimum size: 35 cm
MG
Minimum size: 30 cm (max. 40 cm)
GOTocantins-Araguaia
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I, Araguaia-Tocantins basin (on-site consumption only; zero transport)
Minimum size: 30 cm (max. 40 cm)
GOParaná
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I, Paranaíba basin (on-site consumption only; zero transport)
Minimum size: 25 cm
TOTocantins-Araguaia
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 47/2026, Annex I, as amended by Portaria nº 105/2026
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 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.
A delicate fish. Use a rubber-mesh passaguá, remove the hook in the water and release it straight away.
in the kitchen
Good meat, but small and rare fish; better to release.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00813, b = 3.12; 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 hilarii (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 Salminus hilarii (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2024. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Salminus hilarii (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 07/10/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Lima, F. C. T.; Britski, H. A. (2007). Salminus franciscanus, a new species from the rio São Francisco basin, Brazil (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Characidae). Neotropical Ichthyology 5(3): 237–244.Describes the São Francisco golden dorado and compares it with S. brasiliensis and S. hilarii (checked in the text).
- 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.
