What anglers ask us most before a trip
Yes, a valid MADES licence, good for one year and non transferable, issued online at mades.gov.py. Many lodges arrange it for their guests: ask when you book. Fine of Gs. 3.2–53.8 million. The full requirements are on our practical info page.
MADES closes sport and commercial fishing every year during spawning, starting in early November. The exact dates change every year and differ on waters shared with Argentina and with Brazil, so check mades.gov.py before booking. Fine of 3,001 to 20,000 minimum daily wages, today Gs. 351–2,342 million.
8 species are covered in this guide: Golden dorado, Surubí catfish, Pacú, Pirá pytá, Boga, Tararira (wolf fish), Patí catfish, Piranha. The two that bring most anglers to Paraguay are golden dorado and surubí catfish.
Year round outside the closed season; best from March to May and from August to October. It can be fished in 11 of the 12 areas in this guide. Bear in mind the closed season starts in early November, so the season is cut in two by it.
Surubí appears in all 12 areas of the guide, which makes it the most widespread species. Season: Year round (outside the closed season); from June to September it holds in the deep pools.
We do not publish prices, and we prefer to say so plainly: 91 of the 136 listings quote on request, because the price depends on the number of days, how many of you there are and whether the boat and guide are included. Contact them directly through the guide, with no middleman and no commission.
There are minimum sizes by species: Golden dorado: 75 cm · Spotted surubí (P. Anything below must go back in the water. Most serious lodges release the dorado.
Paraguay does not require a visa from most countries in the region, the United States or the EU for tourist stays. Personal fishing tackle enters as sporting luggage without trouble.
136 in 12 fishing areas, including 11 fishing lodges and 20 guides. Every listing is verified against a named source, and anything we could not confirm is not published.
Each listing has its own contact button, which opens WhatsApp or their website directly. We do not act as an intermediary, we take no commission and we do not manage anyone's calendar.
Pira Experience, the sport fishing guide to Paraguay
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