Fishing in Chubut

Chubut is a large Patagonian province that stretches from the Andes in the west to the Atlantic coast in the east, and the fishing that matters here is concentrated in that western Andean corridor — a landscape of glacier-fed rivers, interconnected lakes, and spring creeks running through lenga beech and open steppe.

The species are all introduced: rainbow, brown, and brook trout, plus landlocked salmon in some waters. The season runs from mid-November through mid-April, which is the Southern Hemisphere spring and summer.

The Río Futaleufú — also called the Río Grande locally — anchors the Esquel area and is the biggest river in the region. It runs cold and clear with a mix of flat water, riffles, and deep pools, and it holds large trout.

Wading is productive, and fishing from a boat is permitted on certain stretches. Nearby, the Arroyo Corintos and the Nantifal drainage offer a different kind of fishing — smaller, more technical water that rewards careful presentation.

Further north, the Carrileufu lodge system sits near Lago Cholila, and the water there is a chain of short rivers linking several lakes: Lago Rivadavia, Lago Futalaufquen, and others in the Los Alerces area.

The Río Rivadavia runs Caribbean-clear between those lakes and fishes well on dry flies. These waters are inside or adjacent to national park boundaries, which means access is managed and the fish see less pressure than you might expect.

The Río Chubut is a different animal — it drains east toward the Atlantic rather than west toward the Pacific, and it fishes best as a float.

A typical expedition covers around 60 kilometres of private estancia water over three or four days, camping along the banks. The trout run smaller here, mostly in the 30–45 cm range, but they're aggressive and willing to eat foam attractors off the surface.

High-count days are realistic. Spring and early summer are the better window when flows are still up. Out in the Río Pico area, well south of Esquel, there's a network of interconnected lakes and Pacific drainages that sees very little traffic.

Guides who know it well consider it some of the best big-trout water in Patagonia — rainbows and browns that have had room to grow. Getting there takes effort; Esquel is the nearest airport and the roads are long.

Across the Andean zone, a joint Patagonian fishing permit covers Chubut, Neuquén, Río Negro, and the national parks within those provinces.

It's issued in Argentine pesos and available online, at local shops, and through outfitters — who will typically handle it for you before you arrive.

Current rules, bag limits, and any special-water supplements are updated each season, so check with the issuing authority rather than relying on anything printed in advance.

December and January bring strong mayfly and caddis hatches, and dry-fly fishing in both rivers and lakes is at its most consistent then.

By late summer the flows on the Chubut drop, which is why a four-day float makes more sense than three at that end of the season. The fish are still there — they just require a bit more of you.