palena river — la junta
Large, clear river coming from Argentina that crosses the Carretera Austral at La Junta. Trout from boats and on foot, with many tributaries.
The Palena rises in the binational Palena Lake (General Vintter, in Argentina), enters Chile through the commune of Palena in the Los Lagos Region, and runs to the sea at Raúl Marín Balmaceda, already in Aysén. La Junta, at the confluence with the Rosselot River, is the most used base. It is a wide river with green, clear water, with long stretches for drift boat fishing and smaller tributaries for wading. Brown and rainbow trout are the targets, with streamers, nymphs and dry flies. Nearby lakes, such as the Rosselot, complete the route on windy days.
best season
On the Aysén side, season from mid-October to early May; in the upper Palena, in Los Lagos, from Nov 1 to the first Sunday of May. December to March is the most sought-after period.
Local rules: Sernapesca license required. The river crosses two regions. In Palena province (Los Lagos), Res. Ex. 2.428/2025 of the Los Lagos Regional Fisheries Directorate, for the 2025–2029 seasons, requires an artificial lure with a single barbless hook, allows keeping only one salmon (salar, coho or chinook) per angler per day and requires releasing all other species, including trout; it bans night fishing (10 pm to 6 am) and fishing from bridges. On the Aysén side, Res. Ex. 3.004/2024 applies (May 7 to Oct 11 closure and closed spawning zones). Confirm the local rules.
- getting there
- La Junta lies on the Carretera Austral, between Chaitén and Coyhaique. To the south, Balmaceda airport; to the north, Chaitén has an airstrip with small flights from Puerto Montt and a ferry connection.
- facilities
- Fishing lodges in the region, cabins, accommodations and campsites in La Junta, and guides with boats.
- country
- Aysén, Chile
tip
Fish all day with an artificial lure and a single barbless hook: that is what the rule requires in the Los Lagos stretch, and it avoids confusion when changing sections.
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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. 2.428/2025, Dirección Zonal de Pesca de Los Lagos (província de Palena, río Petrohué e lago Todos los Santos)2025–2029 seasons: artificial lure with a single barbless hook, 1 salmon per day and release of other species
- 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