Fishing near Santarém, Pará

Santarém sits at one of the Amazon's most dramatic confluences, where the dark waters of the Rio Tapajós meet the milky-brown Rio Amazonas and run side by side for several miles without mixing. This meeting of the waters is the backdrop for the city's fishing scene, which centers on the floodplain lakes, igarapés, and river channels radiating out from that junction. Lago Maica — a natural tributary outlet of the Amazon — is the best-known local fishing destination, drawing anglers after piranha through its flooded forest and floodplain channels. The Rio Arapiuns, Rio Ituqui, and a string of várzea lakes including Lago Piraquara, Lago Anumã, and Lago Jurumunã extend the fishable water well beyond the city itself.