Golden Dorado: King of the River — Where to Find and How to Hook It
Explosive, acrobatic, and relentless: the golden dorado is South America's ultimate freshwater fishing trophy. Learn where it lives and how to land it.
Automatically translated from Portuguese. Read the original in Portuguese
Habitat and behavior
The golden dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) inhabits fast-flowing rivers in the Paraná, Paraguai, and Uruguai basins. Rapids, river mouths, and slack water below waterfalls are its favorite hunting grounds.
Techniques that work
Casting downstream and retrieving quickly mimics fleeing baitfish. Fly fishing with large streamers also triggers aggressive strikes.
Flashy diving plugs and silver spoons are all-time classics.
Setting the hook
The golden dorado has an extremely hard mouth. Set the hook firmly two or three times, and keep the line tight throughout its jumps.
Best destinations
Rio Paraná (Corrientes and Itaipu), Rio Paraguai in the Pantanal, and Rio Uruguai in southern Brazil. At Salto Yucumã, fishing from a boat produces fish weighing over 15 kg.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average size of a golden dorado?
Fish weighing 3 to 6 kg are common; trophies over 10 kg turn up in Rio Paraná and the Pantanal. The Brazilian record exceeds 25 kg.
Does the golden dorado have smooth skin or scales?
It has golden scales and belongs to the family Characidae — a distant relative of piranhas, with equally impressive teeth.