baker river — puerto bertrand
Chile's largest river by flow, turquoise blue, rises in Lake Bertrand. Large trout in cold, fast water.
The Baker flows out of Lake Bertrand, next to the village of Puerto Bertrand, and runs to the sea near Caleta Tortel. It is a wide, powerful river with crystal-clear turquoise water, rapids, backwaters and smaller tributaries. Rainbow and brown trout hold along the edges, at confluences and in the foam lines. Fishing is from a boat with a guide, drifting, and on foot along the banks and tributaries. Streamers and sinking lines work the channel; in the backwaters and nearby lakes, dry flies work on calm days. Cochrane, further south, is the base town.
best season
Aysén season, mid-October to early May. Summer, December to March, has long days and is the most sought-after period.
Local rules: Sernapesca license required. The Aysén resolution (Res. Ex. 3.004/2024) applies: salmonid closure May 7 to Oct 11 and spawning zones closed to fishing all year, even with release (Res. Ex. 893/2025). Check the resolution to see whether your chosen stretch has its own release or bag-limit rule. Confirm the local rules.
- getting there
- Via the Carretera Austral (Ruta 7), south of Coyhaique, a day's drive. The nearest airport with regular flights is Balmaceda.
- facilities
- Fishing lodges on the riverbanks and Lake Bertrand, cabins and campsites in Puerto Bertrand and Puerto Guadal, simple hotels in Cochrane, and guides with boats.
- country
- Aysén, Chile
tip
The water is icy and the current is deceptive: don't wade deep and wear a life jacket in the boat. Bring sinking line for the channel.
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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 Chile
Anyone who fishes for sport needs the Sernapesca recreational fishing license (Law 20.256, art. 6), personal and carried with ID. It can be bought online, on the Sernapesca license site, or at the agency's offices. For foreign tourists, the law sets 0.5 UF (one week), 1 UF (one month) or 1.5 UF (one year), always for marine and inland waters; check the site for the options on sale. The peso amount changes every year, because it uses the UF value on the last day of the previous year. Chilean and resident foreign nationals under 12, over 65, or with a disability registered in the national registry are exempt.
- Salmonids (trout and salmon) in inland waters: under the general rule (D.S. 320/1981), season from the second Friday of November to the first Sunday of May, except in Magallanes. Regions may change the dates: Aysén has a closed season from May 7 to October 11 (2025–2027 seasons), and the province of Palena, in Los Lagos, opens on November 1 (2025–2029).
- Bag limits, sizes, hours, baits and catch-and-release-only stretches are set by resolution of the Regional Fisheries Director of each region (Law 20.256, art. 7). Read the region's resolution before fishing.
- Native species classified as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable may not be fished recreationally (Law 20.256, art. 7).
- Didymo: in several southern basins, the invasive alga is a declared pest. Wash and disinfect boots, waders, boat and gear when moving between rivers or lakes.
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 Diario Oficial de Chile — Extracto Res. Ex. 3.004/2024, Dirección Zonal de Pesca de Aysén (medidas para a pesca recreativa)Salmonid closure May 7 to Oct 11, 2025–2027 seasons
- official Diario Oficial de Chile — Extracto Res. Ex. 893/2025, Dirección Zonal de Pesca de AysénVulnerable spawning zones: fishing banned all year, even with release