Fishing trip in Rio de Janeiro with a private boat

At a glance

Fishing trip in Rio de Janeiro: boat or shore

Most trips go out on a private boat with a skipper. A half-day outing keeps you fairly close to the coast. Going after bigger fish means a full day in open water, where wind and swell matter even more. We ask the skipper what is biting on your dates and which tackle to bring before you book. Nobody can promise a catch, and we won’t either.

You can also fish without a boat. Riotur, the city’s tourism office, lists Barra da Tijuca, a 14.4 km beach, as a place for shore fishing (pesca de beira). We can add a driver for the day so you can try a few spots along the beach. Fishing can also be one part of a longer private trip.

Our fee is already included in the price.

The amateur fishing license

The federal license comes from Brazil’s Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA). Here is what matters for a visitor:

• Anyone fishing for leisure needs it, Brazilian or foreign. The exception is fishing only with a hand line (linha de mão) or a simple rod without a reel (caniço simples), never for sale.
• There are two categories. Shore (desembarcada) covers fishing without a boat. Boat (embarcada) covers both boat and shore, and it is the one you need on a charter.
• The license is valid for one year across Brazil, except in protected areas. Some states ask for their own license on top.
• For foreign anglers, the Ministry’s pages describe the application differently, so we check the current process for your case before the trip.
• After applying you get a 30-day provisional license, then the definitive one.
• Anglers fill in a catch monitoring form by the fifth business day of the following month.

Each angler needs their own license, and the Ministry warns to apply only through the official portal. We agree with you how your license will be ready before the trip and show it as a separate line in the proposal.

What you can keep

For sea fishing, the MPA guide allows an amateur angler to transport up to 15 kg of fish plus one more. Selling the catch is prohibited. Fish has to be carried in a form an inspector can check, so no fillets, steaks or fish without the head. Many anglers simply release what they catch.

Some waters are closed. In the Tamoios Ecological Station, in the bay of Ilha Grande, ICMBio states that staying and fishing are prohibited across the whole area. If you combine fishing with an Angra dos Reis boat trip, the skipper plans the route around it.

What we check before booking

Boat rules in Brazil are set by the Brazilian Navy, and the Capitania dos Portos enforces them on the water. Before we book we check:

• the boat’s registration document;
• that the skipper holds the license to command it;
• how many people the boat may carry, so your group stays under that number;
• life jackets for everyone on board, including children’s sizes;
• tackle and bait included, and what you should bring.

How we vet providers in general: how we work.

What to tell us in your request

• Dates and how flexible they are
• Number of anglers and anyone just coming along
• Boat or shore, half day or full day
• Your experience and the fish you hope for
• Whether you already have a Brazilian fishing license
• Where you are staying, if you need a pickup

Check entry requirements on official websites before you travel. Terms and payment are set out in the proposal, and you pay nothing before you confirm. More ideas for active days: adventure activities in Rio and surf lessons.