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Dropping Water Ranges Sign Prime Season for Amazon Peacock Bass
The Amazon basin is delivering distinctive peacock bass fishing as 2026 begins, with a number of lodge operations reporting what veteran guides are calling ultimate “dropping water” circumstances throughout the Rio Negro and Agua Boa watersheds.
Reviews from the ultimate two weeks of December verify that receding river ranges have uncovered the area’s signature golden sand seashores and concentrated baitfish—and the predators that feed on them—into navigable channels and lagoons. Multiple lodge has described fishing in late December and early January as “phenomenal,” with constant topwater motion and excessive catch charges of each butterfly and peacock bass.
The numbers help the passion. Rio Marié, often known as the River of Giants, logged 238 peacock bass for a single group throughout the week of December 7-14, together with seven fish exceeding 15 kilos and a number of trophies over 20 kilos. Guides attributed the success to fast-dropping water ranges, a selected hydrological set off that forces fish to reposition aggressively and feed opportunistically.
The widespread nature of the reviews—spanning each the Roraima area and the broader Rio Negro basin—suggests that is greater than a localized phenomenon. When a number of river programs throughout a whole bunch of miles present related patterns, it sometimes alerts a basin-wide peak in seasonal circumstances.
The expertise underscores a elementary fact of Amazon peacock bass fishing: the fishery is firing, however anglers should be in the suitable water degree window. Stationary lodges at the moment within the “candy spot” are seeing distinctive days, whereas cell operations are efficiently chasing the drop.
The outlook for January and February stays sturdy. Climate forecasts for Manaus and Barcelos predict scattered thunderstorms and patchy mild rain for the primary half of January, with day by day accumulation typically below half an inch—typical for the rainforest and unlikely to set off the sudden river rises that may shut down fishing. A Christmas Eve take a look at at Agua Boa, the place torrential rain didn’t diminish the chunk, suggests present feeding exercise is powerful sufficient to resist localized climate occasions. For anglers with journeys booked within the coming weeks, circumstances favor aggressive topwater motion and sight-fishing alternatives on uncovered sandbars. The first variable stays localized heavy rainfall, however the present development signifies a secure, high-production season is underway.
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