Piracema in Brazil until 28 February? In Paraguay fishing opens on 22 December

Brazil's piracema and Paraguay's closed season do not end together. Across much of Paraguay fishing returns on 22 December 2026, while in Paraná, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul the rivers stay closed until 28 February 2027. But the advantage is not the same for everyone, and not all of Paraguay opens on that date. The table above sums up each state; here is the maths, with a source for every fact.

How much time you gain, by state

• Paraná, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul: 69 days, from 22 December to 28 February, with your home rivers closed and part of Paraguay open. Carnival 2027, on 9 February, falls inside that window.
• Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina: 41 days, from 22 December to 31 January. On 1 February your piracema ends the same day the last Paraguayan stretches open. The advantage is only December and January. In RS and SC the date applies to the Uruguay River basin; other basins have their own rules.

Which areas open on 22 December

MADES Resolution No. 511/2026 closes the whole country from 2 November and ends on two dates. The first group is the Paraná below its confluence with the Yguazú (the Iguaçu River, at the triple border), the Paraguay River from the Apa down to the Paraná, the Pilcomayo and all other rivers, streams, lakes and lagoons. In the guide, these are the areas:

• On the Paraná: Encarnación and San Cosme (8 places), Ayolas and the Paraná Corridor (24), Cerrito (10) and Paso de Patria (7).
• On the Paraguay River: Pilar (18 places), Villeta and Ypeka'e (1), Asunción and Chaco'i (18) and Concepción (11).
• On inland rivers: Villa Florida (6 places), on the Tebicuary.

Which areas only open on 1 February

Watch this one, because these are precisely the waters shared with Brazil: the Paraná from Saltos del Guairá to the Yguazú, the Apa River up to the Estrella stream and the Paraguay River from the Río Negro to the Apa stay closed until 31 January 2027. In the guide these are Ciudad del Este (4 places), Vallemí and San Lázaro (7) and Bahía Negra and the Pantanal (3). If you enter via Foz in December, Ciudad del Este is only a transit point: the fishing starts further south.

For Vallemí and San Lázaro, at the confluence with the Apa, the guide counts the whole area on 1 February. The Paraguay River south of the Apa's mouth belongs to the other group, so confirm with your guide where you will fish before setting an earlier date.

What is not better in Paraguay

• Until 21 December, Paraguay is stricter. There is no catch and release or bank fishing for visitors. On rivers in Paraná and São Paulo, by contrast, federal rules allow shore fishing for non-native species and hybrids, up to 10 kg plus one specimen.
• The Brazilian bank stays closed. On border rivers, the opening applies in Paraguayan waters, with the Paraguayan licence: the licence step by step.
• The dorado shoal. MADES Resolution 430/2026 bans fishing aimed at the migratory shoal while it is in Paraguayan waters. As of 5 November 2026 it had not been lifted: check before you travel.
• Argentina is not part of this sum. Compared with the other side of the river, Paraguay has no date advantage: according to the newspaper Primera Edición, Misiones reopens the Paraná and the Iguazú on 23 December, and Corrientes has no annual spring closure but requires releasing dorado and surubí all year. The details are in the closed season on the Paraná compared.
• Paraguay's closure carries fines. Fine of 1 to 20,000 minimum daily wages depending on severity (Decree 1837/2019), today up to Gs. 2,342 million.

Getting there from Foz

The natural entry is the Friendship Bridge, from Foz do Iguaçu to Ciudad del Este, with a mandatory Migraciones stamp even if nobody stops the car. From there to Encarnación it is about 280 km on the route calculated in OpenStreetMap, and from Foz to Ayolas it is 430 km, according to Hotel Ayolas. Documents, crossings and what the car must carry are in getting there. From Mato Grosso do Sul you can enter through Ponta Porã and Pedro Juan Caballero and go to Concepción, which opens on 22 December.

To plan the trip

Check the month-by-month calendar and today's river levels, and ask your lodge or guide whether they will be running on your dates: the legal opening does not guarantee it. The rules for foreign visitors are in the guide for Brazilians. Any doubt about your stretch? Write to [email protected] or on Instagram to @pira_experience.

Frequently asked questions