río santa cruz — comandante luis piedra buena
The great glacial river of southern Argentina, home to the steelhead that runs to sea. Bank fishing at Piedra Buena, next to Isla Pavón.
The Santa Cruz flows out of Lago Argentino, fed by glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park, and runs 385 km east across the steppe to an estuary on the Atlantic that it shares with the Río Chico. On average it is 150 m wide and 6 to 15 m deep. At Comandante Luis Piedra Buena, about 40 km from the sea, the river wraps around Isla Pavón, and that is where bank fishing concentrates. The target is steelhead (trucha steelhead), a form of rainbow trout that spends part of its life at sea and returns to the river, with fish that can reach 10 kg. There is also brown trout, perca criolla and Chinook salmon, which has established a population in the basin. In the town stretch, Patagonian robalo (Eleginops maclovinus) is also fished.
best season
The Santa Cruz is open all year (2026/2027 season from Oct 1, 2026 to Sept 30, 2027). Steelhead may be kept until March 14, 2027 and then catch and release only; the Chinook window runs from Aug 1 to Nov 30, 2027.
Local rules: A Santa Cruz fishing permit is required, issued online by the Secretaría de Estado de Pesca y Acuicultura (non-residents: $90,000 per day to $450,000 per season in 2026/2027). At Piedra Buena, bank fishing is allowed from the Monumento Héroes de Malvinas to the Interconectado Provincial crossing, including Isla Pavón. One single or double hook, no natural bait and no lead; up to 2 fish per day (1 perca criolla and 1 brown trout) and 1 steelhead per season, catch and release only from March 15, 2027. Chinook Aug 1 to Nov 30, 2027, 1 per day. Night fishing is banned; disinfect against didymo. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Piedra Buena is on National Route 3, 235 km from Río Gallegos and 130 km from Puerto San Julián. The RN3 bridges cross the river and give access to Isla Pavón.
- facilities
- Lodging and services in town. The Isla Pavón tourist complex has a campsite and cooking areas sheltered from the wind, by the river.
- country
- Santa Cruz, Argentina
tip
The regulations ban lead: sink the fly with a sinking line or lead-free heads. Be ready for the strong, cold steppe wind.
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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 Argentina
There is no national license: the sport fishing license belongs to each province. In northern Patagonia, the Patagonian Regulation permit issued by Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut or the National Parks Administration (APN) is valid in all these jurisdictions, including the southern parks; in 2025/2026 it cost $40,000 per season for residents of the country and from $50,000 (day) to $280,000 (season) for non-resident foreigners, with online purchase. Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego have their own permits (TDF 2026/2027: foreigners from $78,000 per day to $260,000 per season). On the coast (Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Corrientes) each province issues its own.
- The license is provincial. In Patagonian national parks, the APN permit or the provinces' Patagonian permit is valid, and fishing is only allowed in the environments listed in the parks' annex.
- Patagonian Regulation (2025/2026): general season from November 1 to May 1; in rivers and streams, including 200 m from their mouths, mandatory release with a single barbless hook, except for exceptions in the annexes; as a rule, one artificial lure with a single hook; selling fish prohibited; felt-soled boots prohibited.
- In national parks, all native species (perch, Patagonian pejerrey, catfish, peladillas) must be released; Atlantic salmon must be released in all environments under the regulation.
- Golden dorado: in Corrientes it is a Provincial Natural Monument (Law 6,730/2025); in Entre Ríos commercial fishing is prohibited and sport fishing is catch-and-release only (Law 11,174/2024); on the Uruguay River, shared with Uruguay, there's a CARU closed season from September 1 to December 31.
- Tierra del Fuego (2026/2027): season from October 30, 2026 to May 2, 2027, fly and spinning only, and mandatory release in all provincial environments starting March 1, 2027.
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 Santa Cruz, Secretaría de Estado de Pesca y Acuicultura — Ambientes de pesca, temporada 2026/2027 (Río Santa Cruz)Santa Cruz River: open year-round; 1 steelhead per season and mandatory release from March 15, 2027; 2 fish per day (1 perca criolla and 1 brown trout); Chinook Aug 1 to Nov 30, 2027; robalo up to 10 per day
- official Santa Cruz, Secretaría de Estado de Pesca y Acuicultura — Reglamento de Pesca, temporada 2026/2027 (Disposición 241)Night fishing banned; shore fishing zone at Piedra Buena, from the Monumento Héroes de Malvinas to the Interconectado Provincial crossing, including Isla Pavón (Annex I, in the PDF)
- official Santa Cruz, Secretaría de Estado de Pesca y Acuicultura — Valores y categorías, temporada 2026/2027 (Disposición 242/2026)Non-residents: $90,000 (day), $300,000 (week), $450,000 (season)
- official Santa Cruz, Secretaría de Estado de Turismo — Piedra BuenaSteelhead up to 10 kg on the Santa Cruz River; Isla Pavón complex with camping; 235 km from Río Gallegos and 130 km from Puerto San Julián via RN3