From wild trout in Patagonia to golden dorado in the Amazon, South America offers remarkable variety for serious anglers.
Fishing here can take you deep into some of the continent’s least-travelled landscapes: Patagonian rivers and lakes, jungle tributaries, open wetlands, and wild parts of the Pacific coast. Lodgings range from comfortable riverside fishing lodges to expedition boats and traditional working ranches, with exceptional water close at hand and few other anglers around.
Whether you’re planning a dedicated fishing trip to South America or incorporating a few days on the water into a wider journey, these are some of our favourite places to fish – and stay – in the region.
1. Melimoyu Lodge, Chilean Patagonia
Fisherman’s Quarters: Hidden away in northern Chilean Patagonia, Melimoyu Lodge has just four suites overlooking the forest and Palena River. It is a remote, comfortable base for fishing the rivers and lakes of this little-visited part of Patagonia.
What’s the Catch: Fly-fishing for salmon and trout on the clear waters of the Palena River and its surrounding lakes, with access to some wonderfully isolated water.
Wow Factor: Access – arriving by helicopter takes you across the mountains of northern Patagonia and into a part of Chile where roads are few and fishing pressure is correspondingly light.
When to Go: Fly-fishing season in Patagonia runs from November – May.
Take a Break: When you’re ready to swap rod for hiking boots, explore ancient forests, kayak through fjords, or saddle up for a ride to a remote beach. If adventure calls, take a boat to the edge of Melimoyu volcano or venture into Queulat National Park for a glimpse of its hanging glacier.
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2. Tipiliuke Lodge, Argentine Patagonia
Fisherman’s Quarters: Tipiliuke sits on a 50,000-acre working cattle ranch in Argentina’s northern Patagonian Lake District, with 17 miles of private trout water on the Chimehuín, access to the smaller Quilquihue and three miles of private spring creek. Most beats are just a few minutes from the lodge and are allocated to one group at a time.
What’s the Catch: Fly-fishing for rainbow and brown trout – their typical fish average 14-20 inches, but each season they catch monster browns close to 30 inches.
Wow factor: More than 17 miles of private riverfront, some of the finest trout waters on the planet and the best guides in the business.
When to Go: For the best fly-fishing conditions in Patagonia, travel between November and March.
Take a Break: Cattle herding on horseback with gauchos, hiking through forests to picnics on the lake, and stag and boar hunting in March/April. Follow this with peaceful evenings reading and chatting by a roaring fire with Malbec aplenty.
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3. Tsimane Heli-Fishing, Bolivian Amazon
Fisherman’s Quarters: Deep in Bolivia’s Indigenous Tsimané territory, this is one of the more adventurous fishing trips in South America. The heli programme is based from Pluma Lodge, with short flights taking a maximum of eight anglers into remote sections of the surrounding watershed.
What’s the Catch: Golden dorado are the main event, tipping the scales at 35 pounds, making them the undisputed kings of these jungle waters. Not to be overshadowed, the freestone rivers are also home to pacú, yatorana, and other worthy contenders,
Wow Factor: Heli-fishing opens up remote headwaters that would be difficult to reach by any other means. Each morning, anglers can fly out from the lodge to fish isolated sections of river deep in the Bolivian jungle.
When to Go: The fishing season runs from June to mid/late October.
Take a Break: Fishing is the main event, but the lodge isn’t without its creature comforts. There’s a small jacuzzi and massage room, and evenings bring lively conversation over a well-curated selection of Argentine, Chilean, and Bolivian wines.
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4. Nomads of the Sea, Chilean Patagonia
Fisherman’s Quarters: A superb 150-foot luxury adventure yacht, complete with two helicopters and a jet boat.
What’s the Catch: Fly-fishing for Chinook salmon, rainbow, brown, brook, steelhead, and sea run brown trout.
Wow Factor: This is your chance to fish some of the remotest waters on the planet, with the help of the Nomad’s expert guides and an assortment of toys, including jetboats and 2 Bell 407 helicopters.
Whatever the Weather: The best fly-fishing in Patagonia runs from November – April.
Take a Break: Choose from river and sea kayaking, whale and dolphin watching, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, horse riding, jet boating, aerial sightseeing, heli-skiing, and hiking.
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5. Black Sands Lodge, El Chocó, Colombia
Fisherman’s Quarters: A secluded luxury eco-retreat on Colombia’s wild Pacific coast, Black Sands Lodge is a privately-owned, sustainably-run fishing lodge that’s only accessible by plane and boat.
What’s the Catch: Inshore, target roosterfish and cubera snapper; further offshore, the fishing turns to yellowfin tuna and marlin.
Wow Factor: Few fishing trips in South America combine this degree of remoteness with both serious inshore and blue-water fishing. The surrounding Chocó coastline is also one of the most biodiverse regions on the continent.
When to Go: The best time to visit is December to April for calm seas and prime fishing, or July to November to see migrating humpback whales.
Take a Break: Head out on a marine safari, go diving or, during whale season, spend an afternoon looking for humpbacks along the Pacific coast.
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6. Pira Lodge, Corrientes, Argentina
Fisherman’s Quarters: Pirá Lodge sits on the southern tip of Argentina’s Iberá wetlands, where the marsh and Corrientes River ecosystems converge and the fish are positively teeming. It was built specifically to enjoy some of the most exciting game fishing in the world: the freshwater dorado.
What’s the Catch: Golden dorado, fished from shallow-draft skiffs around the southern reaches of Iberá, where the marsh ecosystem meets the Corrientes River.
Wow Factor: Exciting night expeditions into the marshlands.
When to Go: Travel between December and May to enjoy the Dorado season. December and January are the warmer months.
Take a Break: The wetlands are beautiful to explore on horse. For a relaxed afternoon, the swimming pool is the perfect spot. You might be distracted by the cacophony of over 250 bird species that call the wetlands home.
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Planning a fishing trip to South America? We arrange tailor-made private sporting journeys across the region, from fly fishing in Patagonia to golden dorado in Bolivia and the Iberá wetlands, working with specialist guides and some of the region’s best fishing lodges.
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Looking for an epic fishing adventure in South America? Contact our specialists today.
Conde Nast Traveler Specialists every year since 2017
Looking for more inspiration?
Robb Report: Why Colombia’s Bahía Solano Could Be Fishing’s New Frontier
The Slow Way South: Expedition Yacht & Riverboat Charters in Central and South America
Into Gaucho Country: Argentina’s Best Estancias
