The Rio Tietê is São Paulo state's most significant river, stretching approximately 1,150 kilometers from its headwaters in Salesópolis — at an elevation of 1,120 meters in the Serra do Mar — westward across the entire state before emptying into the Paraná River near the Engenheiro Souza Dias (Jupiá) Dam. The river drains a basin of over 72,000 square kilometers and carries an average discharge near its mouth of roughly 937 cubic meters per second. For anglers, the most productive and fishable stretches begin around Barra Bonita, approximately 290 kilometers from São Paulo (about a four-hour drive), where the water clears considerably and the river becomes navigable. From Barra Bonita downstream to Pereira Barreto, a series of dams and reservoirs have transformed the river into a chain of productive impoundments, with average depths ranging from 6 to 14 meters and a maximum depth of approximately 28 meters. These impoundments create a diverse mix of habitats — deep reservoir basins, flooded timber, rocky points, dam tailwaters, and current-swept channels — that support a rich and varied fishery. Water temperatures in the most productive fishing range fall between 24 and 29°C, and the best overall fishing season runs from August through March.