Fishing in Atacama

Atacama sits in the driest desert on Earth, and that shapes everything about fishing here. This is northern Chile — far above the trout rivers and salmon runs that draw most visiting anglers south.

The waters are scarce, often saline, and the landscape is extreme: high-altitude salt flats, intermittent quebradas, and a Pacific coastline where cold upwelling has supported fishing communities for thousands of years.

The coast is where the most consistent action has historically been. Around Chañaral, Barquito creek draws shore anglers, and the area around Puerto Viejo, in front of Copiapó, has long been a local fishing spot.

Salada Beach, roughly 50 kilometres south of Copiapó, is another named coastal point. Species along this stretch follow the broader northern Chilean pattern — sierra, bonito, tollo, and sea bass among them — riding the cold Humboldt Current.

Inland, the picture changes dramatically. The Río Huasco and Río Copiapó are the region's main river drainages, but both run through hyper-arid terrain and carry limited freshwater.

Higher up, toward the Andes, the Salar de Maricunga and Laguna del Negro Francisco sit at altitude — remote, stark, and not the kind of water you stumble into.

The quebradas — Quebrada del Totoral, Quebrada Carrizalillo, Quebrada La Coipa — are seasonal or intermittent drainages that reflect just how little water moves through this landscape.

Sport fishing in Chile requires a licence issued by Sernapesca, whether you're fishing continental or maritime waters. Check current rules directly with them before you go — seasons, species, and conditions in a place this arid can shift.

Atacama rewards anglers who come knowing what it is: a coastal and high-desert fishery, not a trout destination. The fish are there, but the water is hard-won.