nile perch
Lates niloticus · Latidae · predator
Nile perch, a giant freshwater fish from Africa, reaching 200 cm, sought by sport anglers. It was introduced to Cuba, where it is exotic.
Also called: perca-do-Nilo, perca del Nilo, Nile perch
- maximum
- 200 cm
- record/max.
- 200.0 kg
- depth
- 10–60 m
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.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
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 nile perch
who is the nile perch
The Nile perch is a fish of the family Latidae, freshwater, reaching 200 cm and weighing up to 200 kg. Native to Africa, it occurs in the Nile, Niger, Volta and Chad rivers, in the Congo basin and in Lakes Albert, Turkana and Tana. It lives in channels and lakes: adults stay in deep water and young ones in shallow water. Adults eat mostly fish, especially clupeids, the sardine family, and those of the genus Alestes, and young ones eat plankton. It is threatened by overfishing in some places. It was introduced to Cuba, where it is exotic.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the nile perch.
fun facts
- Smaller specimens also eat larger crustaceans and insects.
identification
Large fish, with a big, protruding mouth and a slightly projecting lower jaw. It has many small, fine teeth on the jaws and the roof of the mouth. The gill cover has a strong spine on its edge, and the dorsal fin is divided by a deep notch. Adults are blue-gray or silvery, with a yellowish iris; young ones are brownish, with pale marbling on the head and flanks.
where found
Native to Africa, in the Nile, Niger, Volta and Chad basins. Introduced to Cuba, where it is exotic. Not recorded in Brazil.
Habitat: Channels, lakes and rivers, with adults in deep water and young ones in shallow water.
rules for the nile perch
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
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.
It has teeth and a strong spine on the gill cover: handle with care and do not put your hand in its mouth. Because it is large, hold it by the body with both hands. In some countries it has an ecological impact after introduction, so do not release it in waters where it does not occur.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00977, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Lates niloticus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Lates niloticusNames by country and language.
where 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: