the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
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hour by hour
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why this index at —?
choose the day
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the smallmouth buffalo
how to recognize it
Deep, laterally compressed body, dark gray on the back, bronze to golden flanks, and yellowish white belly. The mouth is small, pointing downward (subterminal), with no barbels, and the dorsal fin is long, with 22 to 30 rays. It is told apart from the bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) by that species' terminal mouth, and from the black buffalo (I. niger) by its deeper body: in small fish the difference is hard to see. The introduced common carp (Cyprinus carpio) looks similar, but has barbels and a serrated spine on the dorsal and anal fins.
Also called: peixe-búfalo-de-boca-pequena, peixe-búfalo, smallmouth buffalo
don't confuse with:
where found
open on the large mapWhere to look: Backwaters, canals, and reservoirs of small to large rivers, in clear to slightly murky water, with vegetation and a mud bottom. Tolerates hard water.
Not found in Brazil. Native to North America: the Mississippi and Great Lakes basins, Gulf of Mexico drainages from Alabama to the Rio Grande in the USA, and northeastern Mexico, in the Río Bravo basin. FishBase does not detail the Mexican rivers.
when to fish
best season
Bites best in spring and early summer. Spawning runs from March to September, in water of about 15 to 28 °C, peaking in July in Texas; in cold winters the fish is sluggish. FishBase classifies it as potamodromous, meaning it migrates within freshwater.
best time of day
Any time. The sources consulted do not indicate a preferred time. When in doubt, fish early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when there is less activity on the bank.
what affects the smallmouth buffalo
cold and cold fronts
Water below about 10 °C makes the fish sluggish; a string of cold fronts reduces the bites.
atmospheric pressure
No known effect; stable weather is the most comfortable for bottom fishing.
moon
No known effect.
rain
A moderate rise and slightly murky water can move fish into shallow areas; thunderstorm with lightning: get out of the water.
water level
A river and reservoir at a stable level concentrate fish in backwaters and mud bottoms.
noise
Low to moderate sensitivity; avoid stomping on the bank.
wind
Strong wind makes it hard to control the line on the bottom.
depth
On the bottom, from 1 to 6 m, in backwaters and canals with mud and vegetation.
how to fish
lures
- rarely used with lures
natural baits
- dough ball
- milho
- minhoca
tip from an angler
Use a sliding sinker and slack line: the bite is light. Set the hook firmly when the rod tip drops.
- rod
- 7' to 8', medium action, 10 to 25 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 3000 to 5000 with good line capacity
- line
- monofilament 0.28 to 0.35 mm (12 to 20 lb)
- leader
- monofilament or fluorocarbon 12 to 20 lb, 40 to 60 cm
- hook
- size 8 to 2, fine and sharp: the mouth is small
accessories
- sliding sinker
- rod holder
- landing net
catch and release
The mouth is small and delicate: remove the hook with pliers, support the fish by its belly, and return it to the water without delay.
rules for the smallmouth buffalo
Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Mexico: up to 5 freshwater fish per day, one rod, and no live fish as bait
5 fish per angler per day; one rod in use; no live fish as bait details
In Mexico's federal inland waters, recreational fishing for freshwater species is limited to 5 fish per angler per day (this applies to the matalote as to any freshwater fish). Each reservoir's committee may lower the bag limit and set sizes. Only one rod per angler may be in use, and using live fish as bait is prohibited. Fish kept may not be sold, and any fish over the limit must be returned alive to the water. No permit is required to fish from the bank; a permit is required from a boat.
Conservation: Assessed on Nov 8, 2018 as Least Concern. Species not found in Brazil.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
estimated weight
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how we calculate
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01122, b = 3.01; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
more about the smallmouth buffalo
The smallmouth buffalo (matalote boquín) is a freshwater fish of the family Catostomidae, the family of North American suckers, and one of the buffalo fish of the genus Ictiobus. It is native to the Mississippi basin and to rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, and reaches northeastern Mexico through the Río Bravo basin. It lives in backwaters, canals, and reservoirs of small to large rivers, preferably in clear water with some flow, over mud bottoms with vegetation. It feeds on the bottom: mollusks, insect larvae, small crustaceans, and algae, which it grinds with its pharyngeal teeth. FishBase gives up to 112 cm and 37.3 kg and a maximum age of 15 years, but the common fish measures 40 to 65 cm. The same source classifies it as a commercial and sport species, sold fresh and eaten fried, grilled, or baked.
Family: Catostomidae · omnivore
fun facts
- The teeth are in the throat (pharyngeal) and grind mollusks and algae; that is how it feeds on the bottom.
- The maximum age recorded in FishBase is 15 years.
- Males develop small tubercles on the head during the breeding season, and the eggs are released into the water with no parental care.
in the kitchen
Edible: FishBase reports that it is sold fresh and prepared fried, grilled, or baked. A bony fish, like other suckers.
similar species
sources and references (6)
The season factors (months), the time of day, and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water, and noise) are editorial estimates by the app, based on the literature cited below and on field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species and may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the standard and link. Depth, gear, and baits are editorial recommendations based on the species' habit of feeding on the bottom; there is no specific source on recreational fishing for the species in Mexico.
- scientific FishBase: Ictiobus bubalus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Ictiobus bubalusNames by country and language.
- scientific IUCN Red List: Ictiobus bubalus (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 08/11/2018)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Fishes of Texas: Ictiobus bubalus (smallmouth buffalo)Identification (subterminal mouth, dorsal fin, comparison with I. cyprinellus and I. niger), habitat, diet, spawning (March to September, 15.5 to 27.5 °C), longevity, and native range. The page covers Texas and does not detail the presence in the Río Bravo. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- official DOF: Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, que regula a pesca esportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do México (publicada em 25/11/2013)Items 4.3, 4.4, 4.6 b, 4.7 c, 4.9.2, 4.9.5, and 4.11: permit, one rod per angler in inland waters, ban on live fish as bait, limit of 5 freshwater fish per day, release of the fish over the limit, and ban on sale. Text checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- official DOF: NOM-060-SAG/PESC-2014, pesca responsável em corpos de água continentais de jurisdição federal do México (publicada em 27/05/2014)The standard mentions the matalote (Ictiobus meridionalis) in commercial fishing nets, but does not name Ictiobus bubalus or set a minimum size for it. For that reason, the profile includes only the general rule for recreational fishing. Text checked on Oct 13, 2026.
how we calculatewhere each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: