The Paraguay River for anglers: from Bahía Negra to the Paraná confluence

The Paraguay River (Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese) rises in the Mato Grosso region of Brazil, runs through the Pantanal and crosses Paraguay from north to south until it meets the Paraná at the country's southwestern corner. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica it is 2,550 km (1,584 miles) long, the fifth largest river in South America and the main tributary of the Paraná. Below, the basic facts first, and then the river walked downstream through the areas the guide covers on it, with what you catch in each.

Where the Paraguay River rises, where it flows and where it ends

Britannica places its source in the Mato Grosso region of Brazil, at 300 metres (980 feet) above sea level. The source and the upper course are Brazilian, and the upper river runs through the Pantanal, one of the world's largest freshwater wetlands, which stretches about 600 km north to south along the banks of the upper river and several of its tributaries, and extends into northeast Paraguay and southeast Bolivia. Then the river marks part of the border between Brazil and Paraguay, enters Paraguay and crosses it from north to south, splitting the country in two: the Eastern Region on one side and the Western Region, or Chaco Boreal, on the other. In its last stretch it is the border between Paraguay and Argentina.

It ends where it meets the Paraná, at Paraguay's southwestern corner. From there the two run on together as the lower Paraná, which flows only through Argentina and, with the Uruguay, forms the Río de la Plata estuary on the Atlantic. Britannica gives the Paraguay a drainage basin of 980,000 km² (380,000 square miles) and says it provides about 25 percent of the lower Paraná's water.

What fish live in the Paraguay River

Britannica names three: the dorado, the piranha and the pacú. There are more, and they change along the river, which is why the guide lists the species area by area in the walk below. If you came for piranha: the guide lists it in Bahía Negra and the Pantanal. Profiles of all 8 species in the guide, with season and technique: the species.

From Bahía Negra to the Apa: the border with Brazil

The Paraguayan stretch begins in the far north, at Bahía Negra. From there down to the mouth of the Apa the river is the border with Brazil: the boundary treaty the two countries signed in 1927 gives the left bank to Brazil and the right bank to Paraguay. MADES counts this stretch from the river's confluence with the Río Negro to the Apa and, as water shared with Brazil, gives it the longer closed season: in 2025/26 it ran until January 31.

Bahía Negra and the Pantanal. The far north of Paraguay, in the Pantanal. You get there by light aircraft or by boat up the river from Concepción, so a trip here is an expedition. You catch pacú, surubí catfish, golden dorado and piranha. The guide gives the pacú season as "outside the closed season: on the Paraná, summer (December to March); in the Pantanal and on the upper Paraguay, low water from July to October".

Vallemí and San Lázaro. At the confluence of the Paraguay and the Apa, where the border stretch with Brazil ends, so the closing date depends on exactly where you fish: ask your guide. Caves and river beaches for a day off the water, and new guesthouses. You catch surubí catfish, golden dorado and pacú.

From the Apa to Asunción: through the middle of Paraguay

Below the Apa the river runs inside Paraguay, with the Eastern Region on one bank and the Chaco on the other. Its important eastern tributaries include, according to Britannica and from north to south, the Apa, the Aquidabán, the Ypané, the Jejuí Guazú and the Tebicuary. From the Apa down, the 2025/26 closed season ended earlier, on December 20.

Concepción. The river gateway to the north: big surubí in the deep holes of the Paraguay, and fishing on the Apa and the Tagatiyá too. From its port the Yate Siete Cabrillas houseboat sails up the river on expeditions of up to 7 nights, as far as Bahía Negra on the longer ones. You catch surubí catfish, golden dorado, pacú and pirá pytá; the surubí catfish season is year round (outside the closed season); from June to September it holds in the deep pools.

Asunción and Chaco'i. The capital stands on the east bank, opposite the mouth of the Pilcomayo, the river's main tributary from the west, which comes down from the Andes in Bolivia. Asunción is the base for day trips, with boat and yacht rental and the Chaco'i boatmen across the bay. You catch surubí catfish, patí catfish and tararira (wolf fish); the patí catfish is the classic night-fishing catch off the capital. Spot by spot: where to fish in Asunción.

From Asunción to the Paraná: the border with Argentina

Below the mouth of the Pilcomayo the far bank is Argentina: the Pilcomayo and the Paraguay are the northern and eastern limits of the Argentine province of Formosa, and Britannica describes the river's last stretch as the border between Paraguay and Argentina. The Tebicuary, the last of the eastern tributaries on Britannica's list, has its own area in the guide, away from the main river: Villa Florida.

Villeta and Ypeka'e. Cabins with their own pier, boat storage and local guides; in Ypeka'e, people have fished all their lives. You catch surubí catfish, golden dorado and patí catfish.

Pilar. The capital of Ñeembucú, with its own fishing guides' association and the Holy Week International Fishing Tournament, which reached its 55th edition in 2026. You catch surubí catfish, golden dorado, pacú and boga. That tournament and the rest of the year's: fishing tournaments in Paraguay.

Paso de Patria. The end of the river: Paso de Patria faces the confluence of the Paraguay and the Paraná, the region's most famous dorado water, with guided boats and guesthouses on the bank. You catch golden dorado, surubí catfish, pacú and boga. It is not Paso de la Patria, with "la", the Argentine town across the water, in Corrientes: which is which.

The river through the year

The Paraguay does not rise everywhere at once. According to Britannica, the upper river, down to Concepción, floods from December to March; the middle stretch, from Concepción to Asunción, in May and June; and the lower river in February. In the Pantanal the rivers overflow their banks in the summer rains, November to March, and withdraw in the drier winter, April to September. The month alone does not tell you how the river is: the day's reading at each area's port gauge, from Bahía Negra to Paso de Patria, is in today's river levels.

MADES closes fishing nationwide every year during spawning. It starts in the first days of November; in 2025/26 it ran until January 31 above the Apa, in the water shared with Brazil, and until December 20 below it. MADES confirms the dates each year: the latest ones are on the licence, closed season and sizes page, and what you can fish each month is in the month-by-month calendar.

Paraguay River or Paraná?

If you are still choosing between the two rivers by fish, month and access, that comparison is in Paraguay River or Paraná River: which basin to choose. The Paraná on its own: fishing the Paraná River, Paraguayan stretch. And every area in the guide, river by river: where to fish in Paraguay.

Frequently asked questions