A plain guide to the Patagonian fishing permit for visiting anglers: where it is valid, when the season runs, how to buy it and the rules worth knowing.
If you are coming to Argentina to fish for trout, you need a fishing permit, and the system is simpler than it looks. Across the north of Argentine Patagonia, one permit covers several provinces and the national parks. This is how it works for a visiting angler, from a lodge in Chubut that deals with it every season.
Fishing with us?
At La Pilarica the fishing permit and park entry fees are included in the week. Tell us your dates and we will tell you what is open.
One permit for northern Patagonia
Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut, together with Argentina's National Parks Administration, share a single set of rules, the Reglamento General de Pesca Deportiva Continental Patagónico. A permit bought from any of them is valid across all of their waters. That covers the well-known rivers around Junín de los Andes and Bariloche, the Esquel and Cholila region, and national parks such as Lanín, Nahuel Huapi and Los Alerces. The rules and permit categories are reviewed each season, so check the current regulation when you buy.
Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego, further south, issue their own permits. If your trip includes the big lakes of Santa Cruz or the Río Grande in Tierra del Fuego, check those rules separately.
Who needs one
Every angler needs a permit, whether you fish from a boat with a guide or wade a stream on your own. The permit is personal and cannot be transferred. You have to carry it while fishing and show it, with your passport or ID, whenever a ranger or inspector asks.
There are separate categories for Argentine residents and for foreign visitors who live outside Argentina, and the visitor permit costs more. Visitors can buy short-term or full-season permits. Trolling from a moving boat needs an extra permit on top of the ordinary one.
When the season runs
The general season opens on November 1 each year and runs to around the start of May on most rivers and streams. Some lakes and specific stretches have their own dates, and some carry special rules such as catch-and-release only, so read the annex for the province or park you plan to fish.
Fishing is allowed in daylight hours only. In the national parks, all native fish species must be released.
How to buy it
Permits for each new season usually go on sale in mid-October, ahead of the November 1 opening. They are sold online through the official permit systems, and in person at authorized sales points such as tourist offices and park offices. Digital permits carry a QR code and can be shown on your phone together with your ID.
Buy it before your first day on the water. If you are fishing with a lodge or a guide, ask whether the permit is included or whether they will arrange it for you.
Rules that catch visitors out
Most problems come from small things: fishing without the permit on you, fishing after dark, trolling without the extra permit, or keeping a fish on water that is catch-and-release only. Leaving line, lures, wrappers or fish waste behind is also prohibited. If you are unsure about a particular river, ask your guide or check the annex before you fish it.
If you also fish in Chile
Chile runs its own system. Every visiting angler needs a recreational license from Sernapesca, the national fisheries service, and the Argentine permit is not valid across the border. Our comparison of fly fishing in Chile and Argentina covers how the two countries' seasons and licenses line up.
At La Pilarica
Our guests fish four waters in the Cholila valley, inside and around Los Alerces National Park, and the permit and park entry fees are included in the week, so there is nothing to buy before you arrive. For how a week runs, see our complete guide to Patagonia fly fishing on the Carrileufú, and for the rest of the budget, what a Patagonia fly fishing trip actually costs.
Plan a week on the Carrileufú
Send us your dates and the number of anglers and we will tell you what is open and how the week runs.
Do I need a fishing license in Argentina?+
Yes. Every angler needs a permit, including visitors fishing with a guide or a lodge.
Is one fishing permit valid across all of Patagonia?+
One permit covers Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut and the national parks. Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego issue their own.
When does the fishing season start in Patagonia?+
The general season opens on November 1 and runs to around the start of May on most rivers, with some waters on their own dates.
Can I buy an Argentina fishing license online?+
Yes. Permits are sold online through the official systems from mid-October, and digital permits with a QR code can be shown on your phone with your ID.