An angler knows that seasonality is a key component of his/her success catching fish. Seasons make fish move in and out, up and down a given region to feed or to breed. In some cases, like in the Amazon Rainforest, another impact of seasons is on the physical access to the fish.
The Brazilian Rainforest is cut by the invisible line of the Equator. As such, the climate in that region is Tropical, the temperatures throughout the year tend to be relatively stable from 29C to 35C (85F to 95F) and the seasons are simply defined by the amount of rainfall.
Most people will tell you that there are only two seasons in the Brazilian Rainforest: a wet season and a dry season. Don't be fooled by the appeal that the term "dry season" may have on you; the one certain thing in the rainforest is rain. Rainfall is guaranteed all year round, what differs from one season to the other is the amount and intensity of that rain. The more precise way to split the seasons, would be by naming them the "less rain" season and the "more rain" season.
In the Brazilian Rainforest, river levels can change drastically from one season to the other; the Amazonas River typically changes about 9 meters (27 ft) and the Negro River can vary up to 30 meters (90 ft.) based to recent record from 2021.
As implied earlier, the impact of the river level for the anglers is the access to the fish. Like it happens in the ocean during low and high tides, the fish will tend to migrate towards the submerged inland to feed when the river is high and it is just very hard to go after them; first because there is more water for the fish to spread out, and second because it is impossible to cast amongst all the underwater tree tops and not get snagged.
With all that in mind, the best time to fish in the Brazilian Rainforest is in the dry season, most specifically when the rivers are closest to its lowest level. So, when is that? The rain season in the Brazilian Rainforest runs typically from January to May, and the dry season for June to December. Now, the Brazilian Rainforest is huge, it is just a bit bigger than Alaska and about twice the size of Texas, so there is some variation on that climate depending on where you are and which river basin you plan to fish. For most part of the Negro River Basin, on the Northwest, the dry season is from September to December, and on rivers located on the Northeast, the dry season will be from November to February.
It is always a good idea to ask your Tour Operator about the season of the specific waters that you will be fishing, so that you make the most out of your trip and not only enjoy the beauty of the rainforest, but also catch the fish of your dreams.
Fish bites when it is raining, so make sure you have a good raincoat and enjoy the tug!
Contact us for more info on fishing and ecotour trips to the Brazilian Amazon.
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