punta del este — isla gorriti and isla de lobos
Rocks, jetties and beaches at the tip of the peninsula, with boat trips to Isla Gorriti and the Isla de Lobos shoal. Croaker, pescadilla (whiting) and burriqueta.
Punta del Este sits on a peninsula between the Maldonado Bay, with calmer water, and the open sea of La Brava. The Maldonado Intendancy and the local fishing club point out the shore spots: the rocks of Punta Ballena, the La Mansa stops, the beaches of Los Ingleses and El Emir at the tip of the peninsula, and La Gorgorita on La Brava. Species caught there include croaker (corvina blanca), pescadilla (whiting), burriqueta (betara), brótola (hake), pampanito and pejerrey. By boat from the harbor, you can catch besugo (red porgy) and pargo (snapper) over rocky bottoms around Isla Gorriti and Isla de Lobos. On the Lobos shoals live sargo (silver porgy) and black drum (miraguaia), and the sarda or escalandrún (sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus) and the gatopardo (sevengill shark, Notorynchus cepedianus), both endangered sharks, draw sport anglers.
best season
Fishing all year, busiest from spring to autumn, from October to May. From October 1 to January 1, black drum is banned in streams and at the mouths of coastal lagoons.
Local rules: In Uruguay, sport fishing requires no license unless DINARA specifies otherwise. Isla de Lobos, the islet and the sea around them have been a national park since 2024 (Decree 233/024): landing on the islands and trawl fishing are banned, and sport fishing will be regulated in the management plan. Stay away from sea lion colonies. From Oct 1, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027, DINARA bans black drum fishing in rivers and streams, such as the arroyo Maldonado, and at the mouths of coastal lagoons (Res. 238/2026). Release large sharks. Check local rules.
- getting there
- It is about 130 km from Montevideo via Ruta Interbalnearia. The nearest international airport is Laguna del Sauce. Isla de Lobos is about 8 km offshore.
- facilities
- A harbor with sport and pleasure boats and an artisanal fishing sector, Club de Pesca Punta del Este, and plenty of hotels in Punta del Este and Maldonado.
- country
- Maldonado, Uruguay
tip
With strong south wind La Brava turns dangerous: choose La Mansa and the rocks of Punta Ballena. On the rocks, use a light sinker and shrimp or shellfish bait for burriqueta and croaker.
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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 Uruguay
In Uruguay sport fishing is open and requires no license, unless DINARA sets a prior permit for a certain zone, species, period or gear (Law 19.175, art. 44; Decree 115/018, art. 132). On the Uruguay River, the rules of the Administrative Commission of the Uruguay River (CARU) also apply.
- Golden dorado on the Uruguay River: CARU closed season from September 1 to December 31 each year, for commercial and sport fishing (CARU Res. 111/2023).
- Pacu, manguruyú, salmón de río (piracanjuba), tiger surubim (cachara) and armored catfish are prohibited from being fished: DINARA Res. 333/2022 (art. 29, 2nd paragraph) prohibits fishing for these species regardless of method, and on the Uruguay River CARU prohibits their capture in all fishing categories, including sport fishing (CARU Res. 8/98, as amended by CARU Res. 59/12). Release any specimen you hook.
- Fish from sport fishing may not be sold or leave the country (Decree 115/018, art. 133).
- Fishing is prohibited up to 1 km downstream of dams; at Salto Grande, sport fishing may be authorized, with release under the CARU regulation (Decree 115/018, art. 129).
- Between 1,000 m downstream of the Salto Grande dam and the port of Salto there is a Sport Fishing Reserve (Decree 179/018).
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 Intendencia de Maldonado — Escuela de Pesca en Punta del EsteShore spots (Punta Ballena, La Mansa stops, Los Ingleses, El Emir, La Gorgorita) and species listed with the Club de Pesca Punta del Este; by boat, pargo (snapper) and besugo (red porgy)
- official IMPO — Decreto 233/024 (área protegida Isla e Islote de Lobos y su entorno sumergido, categoria Parque Nacional)Bans visitors from landing on the islands and industrial trawl fishing; other fishing methods per the management plan
- official Ministerio de Ambiente — Proyecto de selección y delimitación del área marina protegida Isla e Islote de Lobos (dezembro de 2023)Reef fish (sargo, besugo, black drum, hake) and sport fishing for sarda and gatopardo on the Lobos shoals; provides for regulating sport fishing
- official MGAP/DINARA — Resolución 238/2026, áreas vedadas para la pesca de corvina negraClosed season Oct 1, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 in rivers and streams that flow into the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic, and at the mouths of coastal lagoons