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.
Loading the forecast…
—
hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
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 threespot leporinus
how to recognize it
Elongated body, yellowish to silver, olive back. Three round, well-marked black spots in the middle of the flank: below the dorsal fin, near the adipose fin and at the base of the tail. Faint vertical bands on some fish. The piapara is larger, more silvery and has fainter spots. The piavuçu has a large head and greenish body.
where found
open on the large mapWhere to look: Backwaters, banks, stream mouths, rocks and submerged vegetation; sand and gravel bottom.
Rivers, streams and reservoirs of the Pantanal, the upper Paraná and the São Francisco, plus the Amazon and Tocantins-Araguaia.
native to the basins
states
Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins
when to fish
best season
Good all year outside strong cold; best from late summer through autumn and in spring.
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 threespot leporinus
cold and cold fronts
Strong cold leaves the school still.
atmospheric pressure
A cold front stops the bites for a day or two.
moon
Little effect.
rain
Water starting to cloud after light rain can activate the fish.
water level
Stable or falling river.
noise
Bank fishing in silence produces more.
wind
Little effect.
depth
Shallow bottom, 0.5 to 3 m.
how to fish
natural baits
- green corn
- cornmeal dough (fubá)
- minhoca
- bread
- boiled soybean
tip from an angler
Chum with broken corn and use a small hook. Set the hook fast at the touch.
- rod
- bamboo or telescopic rod of 3 to 4 m, or 5'6" to 6' rod of 6 to 12 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 1000 to 2500
- line
- monofilament 0.20 to 0.25 mm
- leader
- optional; use the main line
- hook
- #4 to 1, short shank
accessories
- broken-corn or corn chum
- small sinker
- feather float
catch and release
Small, tough fish; remove the hook in the water and release it.
rules for the threespot leporinus
Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Paraná basin: minimum 25 cm
25 cmSPPRMGGO details
Federal minimum size for piau-três-pintas in the Paraná basin. In MG, IEF Portaria 111/2003 also sets 25 cm.
Source: Instrução Normativa Ibama nº 26/2009 (fishing rules for the Paraná River basin), Annex
MS: minimum 25 cm
25 cmMS details
Minimum size for piau-três-pintas in MS.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.375/2020 (amends Decreto nº 15.166/2019), art. 9º - Semadesc/Imasul
MT: minimum 25 cm
25 cmMT details
Minimum size for piaus (Leporinus spp.) in the Paraguay basin in MT.
Source: Lei estadual MT nº 9.096/2009, art. 28 and Annex I (Paraguay Basin) - Sema-MT
other rules that mention the threespot leporinus (7)
Minimum size: 25 cm
MS details
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 9º (as amended by Decreto nº 15.375/2020)
Minimum size: 25 cm
MT details
Minimum size: 25 cm
SPPRMGGOMSDF details
Minimum size: 25 cm
PR details
Source: Portaria IAT nº 650/2025, Annex I (interior basins of PR, except Iguazu and coastal)
Minimum size: 25 cm
MG details
Minimum size: 25 cm (max. 30 cm)
GO details
Source: IN Semad-GO nº 17/2026, Annex I, Araguaia-Tocantins basin (on-site consumption only; zero transport)
Minimum size: 25 cm (max. 30 cm)
GO details
piracema and closed seasons
Each bar is the period when fishing is prohibited or restricted. The green line is today. Tap the name to see what is still allowed.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Paraná River basin
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)
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)
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 Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul
Allowed: Subsistence fishing by riverside residents and authorized scientific fishing. Decree 15.166/2019 (art. 11, §5) allows catch and release only in February and only in the channels of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. For the rest of the period, not even catch and release is allowed. Check the Imasul portaria for each season.
Source: Decreto estadual MS nº 15.166/2019, art. 11; IN IBAMA nº 201/2008
Spawning closure (piracema) in Mato Grosso (all basins)
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.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Araguaia River basin
Allowed: Recreational fishing only in reservoirs, with handline, rod, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Fish may only be eaten on site, not transported. Competitions prohibited. Subsistence: 3 kg + 1 fish. State rules (GO and TO) may be stricter.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the Tocantins and Gurupi river basins
Allowed: Recreational fishing only in reservoirs, with on-site consumption. Subsistence: 5 kg + 1 fish. State rules may be stricter.
Spawning closure (piracema) in Tocantins (state rule)
Allowed: In 2025/26: catch and release with barbless hooks and recreational fishing card; subsistence fishing on foot or from a rowboat, with simple pole or handline.
Source: Portaria Naturatins nº 244/2025 (2025/26 season); INIs MPA/MMA nº 12 and 13/2011
Spawning closure (piracema) in the São Francisco River basin (rivers and reservoirs)
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
Allowed: No fishing in the floodplain lakes during the period.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007
Closed season in the rivers of Marajó Island (PA)
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
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
Closed season in Roraima
Border rivers MT/RO and MT/PA
Allowed: See the exceptions in Portaria 48/2007 and the state rules for each bank.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 48/2007
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
estimated weight
—
how we calculate
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01175, b = 3.06; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
more about the threespot leporinus
The best-known piau for bank anglers. It lives in schools in rivers, streams and reservoirs, near the bottom and vegetation. It eats grains, seeds, fruit, leaves and small invertebrates. It nibbles like the piapara and needs a quick hookset. It rarely exceeds 1 kg but pulls well on light tackle. It is also widely used as live bait for pintado and golden dorado where permitted. It produces all year. Respect the 25 cm minimum, which applies in MS, MT and the Paraná basin.
Family: Anostomidae · omnivore
fun facts
- Leporinus comes from "hare": its front teeth resemble a rabbit's.
- It is one of the traditional live baits for pintado and golden dorado.
in the kitchen
Fried whole or in steaks, with fine cuts for the bones.
similar species
sources and references (6)
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 — Leporinus friderici (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).
- scientific IUCN Red List — Leporinus friderici (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 19/06/2020)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Britski, H. A.; Silimon, K. Z. S.; Lopes, B. S. (2007). Peixes do Pantanal: manual de identificação. 2ª ed. Brasília: Embrapa Informação Tecnológica. 227 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
- 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.
- scientific Ferreira, E. J. G.; Zuanon, J. A. S.; Santos, G. M. (1998). Peixes comerciais do médio Amazonas: região de Santarém, Pará. Brasília: Ibama. 211 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
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: