los alerces national park — arrayanes and rivadavia rivers
Short, clear-water rivers between lakes and alerce forests in the Chubut cordillera. Trout on the fly, under national park rules.
Los Alerces National Park protects a chain of lakes and rivers in the Chubut cordillera, west of Esquel and Trevelin, with ancient alerce forests. The Rivadavia and Arrayanes rivers connect Lakes Rivadavia, Verde and Futalaufquen; they are short, very clear, and good for fly fishing on foot or from a rowboat. Rainbow and brown trout move from the lakes into the rivers. On the lakes, fishing is from the shore and from a boat. The park is home to the huillin (southern river otter), and it has shores where landing is not allowed, to contain a disease that attacks the Andean cypress.
best season
General season November 1 to May 1; some park lakes stay open longer. Summer brings hatches and the best of the dry fly fishing.
Local rules: The Patagonian or APN permit is valid, with the parks annex (2025/2026). Arrayanes River: fly or spinning with fly, mandatory release, no motor. Rivadavia River: fly only, release, and prior registration with rangers to float. Futalaufquen and Rivadavia lakes: up to 2 salmonids per day. Landing on the right bank of the rivers and the west shore of the lakes is prohibited, as are anchors, mooring weights, lead-weighted lines or felt-soled boots; at the southern entrance, declaring and disinfecting gear is mandatory. Check local rules.
- getting there
- From Esquel, which has an airport, via provincial route 71 to Villa Futalaufquen, the park's administrative seat, at the southern entrance. The same road continues through the park to the Cholila area.
- facilities
- Campsites, hostels and cabins inside the park and in Villa Futalaufquen; fishing guides and boats in Esquel and Trevelin; information center and rangers at the southern entrance.
- country
- Chubut, Argentina
tip
Bring a floating line, dry flies and small nymphs: the water is clear and the trout see everything. Anchors are prohibited in the park: plan your drift in the rowboat.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
before you fish in Argentina
There is no national license: the sport fishing license belongs to each province. In northern Patagonia, the Patagonian Regulation permit issued by Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut or the National Parks Administration (APN) is valid in all these jurisdictions, including the southern parks; in 2025/2026 it cost $40,000 per season for residents of the country and from $50,000 (day) to $280,000 (season) for non-resident foreigners, with online purchase. Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego have their own permits (TDF 2026/2027: foreigners from $78,000 per day to $260,000 per season). On the coast (Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Corrientes) each province issues its own.
- The license is provincial. In Patagonian national parks, the APN permit or the provinces' Patagonian permit is valid, and fishing is only allowed in the environments listed in the parks' annex.
- Patagonian Regulation (2025/2026): general season from November 1 to May 1; in rivers and streams, including 200 m from their mouths, mandatory release with a single barbless hook, except for exceptions in the annexes; as a rule, one artificial lure with a single hook; selling fish prohibited; felt-soled boots prohibited.
- In national parks, all native species (perch, Patagonian pejerrey, catfish, peladillas) must be released; Atlantic salmon must be released in all environments under the regulation.
- Golden dorado: in Corrientes it is a Provincial Natural Monument (Law 6,730/2025); in Entre Ríos commercial fishing is prohibited and sport fishing is catch-and-release only (Law 11,174/2024); on the Uruguay River, shared with Uruguay, there's a CARU closed season from September 1 to December 31.
- Tierra del Fuego (2026/2027): season from October 30, 2026 to May 2, 2027, fly and spinning only, and mandatory release in all provincial environments starting March 1, 2027.
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official Caza y Pesca del Neuquén — Reglamento de Pesca Deportiva Continental Patagónico 2025/2026 (com anexos de Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut e Parques Nacionales)Southern Parks annex, Los Alerces NP: Arrayanes and Rivadavia rivers with mandatory release, lakes with 2 salmonids, shores with no landing, ban on anchors and lead-weighted lines, mandatory disinfection
- official Boletín Oficial — Resolución APN 417/2025 (Reglamento General de Pesca Deportiva Continental Patagónico e Anexo Parques Nacionales del Sur, temporada 2025/2026)The APN approves the general regulation and the southern parks annex; the annexes are in the same notice
- official Administración de Parques Nacionales — Parque Nacional Los AlercesPark administration in Villa Futalaufquen, with a post office box in Esquel