Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego Fishing Guide

The Río Grande is known for very large sea-run brown trout that come in from the Atlantic. Fishing is mostly with two-handed rods and sinking tips from estancia lodges, in strong wind. Every fish must be released, and anglers need a Tierra del Fuego provincial permit plus the Río Grande zone fee.

📍 Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The river starts in the Chilean (western) part of the island and flows east to the Atlantic at the city of Río Grande. Most of the Argentine water is on private estancias with lodges.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Patagonia (southern Chile & Argentina) map →

Quick facts

The river is about 240 km long and flows from Chilean Tierra del Fuego to the Atlantic at the city of Río Grande.
Brown trout were stocked in Río Grande tributaries by settler John Goodall between 1935 and 1937; some went to sea and came back as sea-run fish.
Each season fish over 30 lb are caught, and an estimated 45,000-70,000 adult sea-run browns return each year.
On the Río Grande and its tributaries all salmonids must be released (Resolution 259/26).
For 2026-2027 the Río Grande is open Oct 30, 2026 to Apr 18, 2027; the rest of the province closes May 2, 2027.

What you can catch

Sea-run brown trout
Main target; catch-and-release only on the Río Grande.
Resident brown trout
Stay in the river; also released.
Rainbow trout
Present in the river; must be released.
Brook trout
Listed in the provincial rules; found in Fuegian waters.
Atlantic salmon
Caught in the Río Grande since 1948.
Chinook salmon
A permitted species under the provincial rules.
Coho salmon
A permitted species under the provincial rules.

Month by month

January	Fresh, silver sea-run fish arrive; long days, fishing until about 10 p.m.
February	Peak; bigger, darker fish in the river.
March	Big fish; all provincial waters catch-and-release from Mar 1.
April	Río Grande and tributaries close Apr 18 (2027).
May	Rest of province closes May 2 (2027). Río Grande closed.
June	Closed season.
July	Closed season.
August	Closed season.
September	Closed season.
October	Pilot opening Oct 17-29, 2026 on one stretch; season opens Oct 30, 2026.
November	Open; catch-and-release on the Río Grande.
December	Open; rainbow trout must be released until Jan 1, 2027 province-wide.

Tips

Bring a two-handed rod with a short, heavy Skagit line and sink tips; wind of 25 mph is a normal day.
Fish the first hour of light and the last hour before dark; midday is slow in bright sun.
Night fishing is banned everywhere in the province; a fishing day runs from civil dawn to dusk.
Use one artificial fly or lure with one single or double hook; no bait, weights, gaffs or nets.
Buy the permit plus the Río Grande/Menéndez zone add-on; register at siped.ar and reserve public beats through saptdf.ar.

Rules and license

Tierra del Fuego provincial government, Producción y Ambiente (Resolution 259/26) · Official rules page ↗

2026-2027 season: Oct 30, 2026 to May 2, 2027; Río Grande and tributaries close Apr 18, 2027.
Río Grande and tributaries (Candelaria, Ona, Menéndez, Rasmussen, Moneta, Herminita): all salmonids must be released.
Non-resident foreigners pay a base permit plus a Río Grande/Menéndez zone add-on; see Resolution 259/26 for current fees.
All provincial waters are catch-and-release from Mar 1, 2027; elsewhere the limit is 1 fish per day.
Fly and spinning only; trolling, bait, sinkers, gaffs, nets and battery lures banned.
No fishing within 200 m of river and stream mouths.
Closed all year: Arroyo Mimica, Río La Unión, Chorrillo Los Salmones, Laguna San Luis and the Valdez River from the Route 3 bridge to Lake Fagnano.
Free catch-and-release permit for residents over 65, retirees, under-12s and people with disabilities.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 0 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.