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fishing forecast

matrinxã

Brycon amazonicus · Bryconidae · omnivore

Freshwater

Silvery, nervous fish of fast rivers, jumps a lot and eats everything: fruit, insects and small fish.

Also called: matrinxã, matrinchã, jatuarana

Scientific illustration of Matrinxã
common size
30–50 cm
maximum
56 cm
common weight
1–3 kg
record/max.
5.0 kg
depth
0.3–4 m
ideal water
25–30 °C
location

Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.

period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the matrinxã

overview

who is the matrinxã

Matrinxã is a streamlined, fast and very jumpy fish, typical of fast rivers and banks with fruit trees. It eats fruit, seeds, flowers, insects that fall into the water and small fish. It migrates to spawn at the start of high water, when it swims upriver in large schools. In the dry season it stays in rapids, rocky bottoms and shaded banks. In sport fishing it is highly prized on light tackle and fly, since it strikes spoons, small lures and flies and fights with jumps and runs. It is also farmed and widely eaten in Amazonas.

fun facts

  • Helps disperse seeds of trees in the flooded forest.
  • In captivity it only spawns with hormone induction, because it needs migration to mature.
how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, silvery body, grey-olive back, diffuse dark blotch behind the head and dark caudal fin. Lower fins orange. Small scales and a mouth with teeth in several rows. The Pantanal piraputanga has a reddish tail with a black band and does not occur in the Amazon. On the Araguaia and the Teles Pires, the local matrinchã is usually another, very similar Brycon species.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Amazon channel and tributaries, including the Negro, Branco and Madeira. In Mato Grosso the name matrinchã also covers other Brycon species from the Teles Pires, Juruena and Araguaia.

Habitat: Rapids, rocky bottoms, banks with fruit trees, clearwater igarapés and flooded forest in high water.

native to the basins

Amazon

states

Amazonas, Pará, Roraima, Acre, Rondônia, Amapá, Mato Grosso

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Jul–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Falling water and dry season, June to October, concentrate fish in rapids and along banks. At the start of high water it swims up the rivers to spawn.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Active by day, peaking early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when it hunts insects on the surface.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the matrinxã
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Friagem reduces surface activity.

atmospheric pressure

Stable weather helps.

moon

Little effect.

rain

Heavy rain muddies the water and hampers spoon fishing.

water level

A falling river exposes rocky bottoms and rapids where it concentrates.

noise

Very wary in clear water. Approach slowly and cast far.

wind

Wind knocks down fruit and insects and can get the fish going.

depth

Surface and mid-water in current and along the bank.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

rod
6'0'', medium action, 8 to 17 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 2500 to 3000 or baitcasting reel 100
line
braid 15 to 20 lb or mono 0.30 mm
leader
fluorocarbon 20 to 25 lb
hook
1/0 to 2/0; small treble hooks on the lures

lures

  • small spoon 7 to 15 g
  • spinner
  • mid-water 5 to 7 cm
  • streamer and popper fly

natural baits

  • bankside fruit and seeds
  • gafanhoto
  • massa
  • piece of fish

accessories

  • alicate
  • polarized glasses

tip from an angler

Cast the spoon upstream and reel slightly faster than the current. Keep the line tight during jumps.

what the law says

rules for the matrinxã

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). Other Brycon species are threatened, such as the Tocantins piabanha (B. gouldingi, VU).

Matrinxã closed season in the Amazon basin

capture, transport and sale banned15/11 to 15/03AMACAPROPAAmazon

Matrinxã is on the list of banned species from November 15 to March 15 in Amazonas, Acre and Amapá. In Rondônia (Madeira basin) and in Pará the ban appears under the name jatuarana.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007, Annexes I and II

Zero transport in Mato Grosso

catch and release mandatory; transport, storage and sale bannedMT

Until December 31, 2028, matrinchã (the whole genus Brycon) caught in Mato Grosso rivers may not be transported, stored or sold. Amateur anglers may only practice catch and release.

Source: Lei estadual nº 12.434/2024 (MT), arts. 19-B and 19-C of Lei 9.096/2009

Closed season in the Amazon basin in Amazonas

15/11 to 15/03AMAmazon

Annual closed season in AM for the species in Annex II of Portaria 48/2007: pirapitinga, mapará, sardine, pacu, aruanã and matrinxã. Tambaqui and arapaima (pirarucu) have their own rules (see the specific items and "prohibitions").

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007

Closed season in the Amazon basin in Acre

15/11 to 15/03ACAmazon

Annual closed season in AC for the species in Annex II: dourada, piraíba, pirapitinga, caparari, aruanã, jaraqui, mapará, sardine, matrinxã and pacu. On the Acre River, the closed season applies to all species (IN IBAMA 205/2008).

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007; IN IBAMA nº 205/2008 (Acre River)

Mato Grosso: Zero Transport for 12 species

MTParaguay (Pantanal)AmazonTocantins-Araguaia

Transport, storage and sale are fully prohibited for 5 years from Jan 1, 2024 for: cachara, caparari, dorado, jaú, matrinchã (Brycon spp.), pintado/surubim (Pseudoplatystoma spp.), piraíba, piraputanga, pirarara, arapaima (pirarucu), trairão and peacock bass (tucunaré, Cichla spp.). For recreational anglers: catch and release only. These 12 species may not even be eaten on site, since the 2 kg or 1 fish limit excludes the art. 19-B list. The law cites jaú as Zungaro zungaro; we also include the Pantanal jaú (Z. jahu) out of caution. The list may still change: § 2 (exotic and predatory species), § 3 (review through study) and the 3-year assessment planned for 2027. A TJMT news report of Jun 2, 2026 confirms the 12 prohibited species. The STF denied a preliminary injunction in the ADIs against the law in 2024; we found no merits ruling.

Source: Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, arts. 19-A, 19-B and 19-C, as amended by Leis nº 12.197/2023 and 12.434/2024

piracema closures in the basins where the species lives

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.

Source: IN Interministerial MAPA/MMA nº 10/2017; Resolução Cepesca-MT nº 1/2026; Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, arts. 19-A and 27 (Leis 12.434/2024 and 13.159/2025)

Closed season in the rivers of Marajó Island (PA)

01/01 to 30/04PA

Allowed: The same recreational-angler exceptions as in Portaria 48/2007 apply (handline or rod, 5 kg + 1 fish), unless a stricter state rule applies.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007

Closed season in the Amazon basin in Amapá

15/11 to 15/03AP

Allowed: Recreational anglers with handline or rod, line and hook are outside the Annex II prohibitions, with a bag limit of 5 kg + 1 fish, unless a stricter state rule applies.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007

Border rivers MT/RO and MT/PA

05/11 to 28/02MTROPA

Allowed: See the exceptions in Portaria 48/2007 and the state rules for each bank.

Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007

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.

Sensitive fish: remove the hook in the water, without squeezing the belly, and release it quickly. Avoid letting it thrash on the bottom of the boat.

in the kitchen

Very tasty flesh, but with Y-shaped bones. Grilled over coals, fried in thin cuts or in fish stew.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01445, b = 3.06; FishBase (bayesiano, espécie + gênero)). 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.

  1. scientific FishBase — Brycon amazonicus (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
  2. 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).
  3. official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Brycon amazonicus (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
  4. scientific IUCN Red List — Brycon amazonicus (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 06/10/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
  5. scientific Lima, F. C. T. (2003). Characidae – Bryconinae (characins, tetras). 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. 174–181.Printed book chapter; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites the chapter for the species.
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