End of the 2026/27 closed season: the countdown and what opens in each area
The closed season ends on two dates, depending on the stretch of river. Area by area, under article 2 of MADES Resolution No. 511/2026:
The Paraguay River from the Apa down to its confluence with the Paraná, the Pilcomayo, the Paraná from its confluence with the Yguazú down to the Paraguay River, and every other river, stream, lake and lagoon in the country.
| Area | River | River today |
|---|---|---|
| Pilar Ñeembucú | Paraguay River | Level at Pilar → |
| Paso de Patria Ñeembucú | Paraná and Paraguay confluence | Level at Paso de Patria → |
| Cerrito Ñeembucú | Paraná River | Level at Cerrito → |
| Ayolas and the Paraná Corridor Misiones | Paraná River | Level at Ayolas → |
| Encarnación and San Cosme Itapúa | Paraná River (reservoir) | Level at Encarnación → |
| Villa Florida Misiones | Tebicuary River | |
| Villeta and Ypeka'e Central | Paraguay River | |
| Asunción and Chaco'i Capital | Paraguay River | Level at Asunción → |
| Concepción ConcepciónThe Apa River and the Paraguay River north of the Apa are waters shared with Brazil: they open on February 1. | Paraguay, Apa, Ypané and Tagatiyá rivers |
The Paraguay River from its confluence with the Negro River down to the Apa, the Apa River up to the Estrella stream, and the Paraná from Saltos del Guairá down to its confluence with the Yguazú.
| Area | River | River today |
|---|---|---|
| Ciudad del Este Alto Paraná | Paraná River (Itaipú reservoir) | Level at Ciudad del Este → |
| Vallemí and San Lázaro Concepción | Paraguay and Apa rivers | |
| Bahía Negra and the Pantanal Alto Paraguay | Paraguay and Negro rivers |
The date depends on the stretch of river you fish, not the town you leave from: if you set out from an area that opens on December 22 and head into waters shared with Brazil, the closed season there runs until January 31.
To fish in Paraguay you need the sport fishing licence issued by MADES. The licence page has the papers, the cost and the form.
MADES Resolution No. 511/2026 (art. 2) sets the closed season "hasta las 00:00 horas del 21 de diciembre del 2026" in waters shared with Argentina and on inland rivers, and "hasta las 00:00 horas del 31 de enero del 2027" in waters shared with Brazil (the Spanish reads "until 00:00 hours" of that day). Read literally, fishing would already be allowed on that last day.
But the resolution's own grounds speak of 50 days of closed season, from November 2 to December 21, and that count only adds up if December 21 is itself a closed day; the official MADES note sums it up the same way, "del 2 de noviembre al 21 de diciembre". That is why this page counts fishing from December 22 and, on the same reasoning, from February 1 in waters shared with Brazil: do not go out on the last day named. If MADES clarifies otherwise, this page will be corrected.
Sources: MADES Resolution No. 511/2026 (PDF, in Spanish) · official MADES note (October 23, 2026). Pira Experience is a guide, not an official source: the source is the ministry.
Pira Experience, the sport fishing guide to Paraguay
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