Rio Paraopeba is one of the most significant tributaries of the Rio São Francisco within the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, stretching approximately 510 kilometers from its headwaters in the extreme southern reaches of the Serra do Espinhaço, near the municipality of Cristiano Otoni, to its mouth at the Três Marias Dam on the Rio São Francisco. The river drains a basin of roughly 12,054 to 13,642 square kilometers across the central and southeastern region of Minas Gerais, flowing through a diverse landscape that encompasses the Iron Quadrangle geology, rolling cerrado terrain, agricultural lands, and heavily industrialized urban corridors. The river is broadly divided into three distinct sections — Upper Paraopeba, Middle Paraopeba, and Lower Paraopeba — each offering different fishing character and species composition. The basin's varied physiography, including iron ore geology, metallurgical and automotive industry corridors, and agricultural zones, has shaped both the river's ecology and its fishing opportunities over time.