río cisnes — puerto cisnes and villa amengual
A 160 km river that crosses Aysén from east to west, from the open valleys at the border to the Puyuhuapi Channel. Trout in the plains and forest.
The Cisnes rises from streams at the foot of the Andes, near the Argentine border, and runs almost always east to west for 160 km to the bay of Puerto Cisnes, on the Puyuhuapi Channel. In the upper course it crosses open valleys with pasture and wetlands; further down it enters humid forest, with narrows, falls and rapids between stretches of plain. It receives the Río de las Torres and, near the mouth, the Picacho. It is one of Aysén's main rivers and one of the fishing zones listed by Sernapesca, with brown and rainbow trout, fished from boats in the wide stretches and on foot in the plains. The last 12 km are navigable by small boats and are tidal.
best season
In Aysén fishing runs from October 12 to May 6: on rivers, catch and release only until Nov 30 and from Mar 1 to May 6, with retention from Dec 1 to Feb 28 (seasons 2025-2027).
Local rules: Sernapesca license required. Res. Ex. 3.004/2024 from the Aysén Zonal Directorate applies (seasons 2025-2027): salmonid closed season from May 7 to October 11; on rivers, release only from Oct 12 to Nov 30 and from Mar 1 to May 6, and retention from Dec 1 to Feb 28, up to 3 fish or 15 kg per day; artificial lures and landing net. Chinook may be kept from Oct 12 to Jan 15 (2 per day). Res. Ex. 893/2025 closes spawning areas on other rivers in the region year-round. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Puerto Cisnes is 29 km off the Carretera Austral, on its own access road. Villa Amengual, in the Cisnes valley, is on the Carretera itself. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Balmaceda.
- facilities
- Puerto Cisnes, with about 7,000 inhabitants, has lodging and shops. Villa Amengual and La Tapera are small villages with few services.
- country
- Aysén, Chile
tip
The Cisnes has narrows with falls and strong rapids: scout the stretch before floating it by boat. Outside the retention period, release everything and use a landing net.
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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 Subpesca — Res. Ex. 3.004/2024, Dirección Zonal de Pesca de Aysén (texto completo)Seasons 2025-2027: release Oct 12 to May 6, retention on rivers Dec 1 to Feb 28 and on lakes Nov 10 to Apr 1; 3 fish or 15 kg; Chinook Oct 12 to Jan 15, 2 per day
- official Diario Oficial de Chile — Extracto Res. Ex. 893/2025, Dirección Zonal de Pesca de AysénFive spawning areas closed year-round (Ñirehuao, Mañihuales, Pollux, Frío and Pozón Ibáñez); none on the Río Cisnes
- official Sernapesca — Zonas de pesca recreativa en ChileLists the Río Cisnes among Aysén's fishing zones, a region of fario trout, rainbow trout and salmon
- official Sernapesca — Medidas de administración de pesca recreativa en Chile 2026-2027 (PDF, atualizado em 11/09/2026)Aysén: closed season May 7 to Oct 11; release and retention rules by period