río petrohué — ralún and ensenada
Large river linking Lago Todos los Santos with the Reloncaví estuary. Fished from rowboats, for trout and Chinook salmon.
The Petrohué leaves Lago Todos los Santos inside Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, tumbles over the Petrohué Falls on lava from the Osorno volcano, and runs about 36 km south to the Reloncaví estuary at Ralún. It was one of the first rivers in southern Chile to receive trout, in 1910, and it is one of the country's best-known sport-fishing rivers. In its middle and lower course it forms pools, eddies, runs and calm backwaters; most of it is reached only by boat, and running motors are banned along the whole river. There are rainbow trout, brown trout and Chinook salmon, plus coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Chinook run up tributaries such as the Hueñu Hueñu to spawn.
best season
Season from November 1, 2026 to May 2, 2027 on the river and Lago Todos los Santos (Res. Ex. 2.428/2025). Summer, from December to March, is the most sought-after period.
Local rules: Sernapesca license required. Res. Ex. 2.428/2025 applies to the Petrohué and Lago Todos los Santos until 2029: artificial lures with a single barbless hook, only one salmon (salar, coho or Chinook) per angler per day, and release of trout and other species. Fishing is banned in the Los Patos sector near the Falls; boats with running motors are banned from the lake outlet to the Petrohué bridge; and fishing from bridges or at night (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) is prohibited. Navigating Lago Todos los Santos requires authorization from the Chilean Navy (Armada) and Conaf, and four-stroke motors only. Check local rules.
- getting there
- From Puerto Varas take Ruta 225 to Ensenada (42 km), then on to the park and Petrohué. Ralún, at the mouth, is 30 km from Ensenada via Ruta V-69. The nearest airport is Puerto Montt.
- facilities
- Lodging in Ensenada and Puerto Varas, campgrounds in the Petrohué sector and hot springs in Ralún. Conaf has offices in Petrohué and Ensenada.
- country
- Los Lagos, Chile
tip
Hire a boat with a guide: the current is strong, the riverbed has lava rocks and there are rapids near the mouth. Wear a life jacket and carry a landing net (chinguillo), which is required to lift fish out of the water.
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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)Petrohué River: Los Patos sector closed; running motors banned from the lake outlet to the Petrohué bridge; seasons 2025-2029
- official Conaf — Parque Nacional Vicente Pérez RosalesAccess via Ruta 225 Puerto Varas–Ensenada–Petrohué; navigating Lago Todos los Santos requires Navy (Armada) and Conaf authorization, four-stroke motors only
- scientific Gomez-Uchida et al. (2018) — Genetic signals of artificial and natural dispersal linked to colonization of South America by non-native Chinook salmon, Ecology and Evolution 8(12)Petrohué Chinook, introduced through sea ranching and hatchery releases; carcasses after spawning are collected in May
- scientific Colihueque et al. (2019) — Genetic Differentiation and Origin of Naturalized Rainbow Trout Populations From Southern Chile, Frontiers in GeneticsThe first trout stockings in southern Chile, in 1910, included the Río Petrohué