Sport Fishing

Empowering patience in Tierra del Fuego

The fishing season extends -in general- from November to May. However, in some areas it may start a few months later or be finished some time earlier.

The island of Tierra del Fuego presents a great variety of environments to practice sport fishing and enjoy the peace of nature.

The fishing modalities allowed are: fly fishing or spin fishing, with the use of corresponding equipment for each case.

The trawling method from a propelled boat is prohibited, as well as the use of artificial lures that contain batteries or batteries, due to their possible polluting power.

You can download the app "Sport Fishing – TDF" to manage your fishing permit and get more information

Available for iOS and Android.

Important Information

Mandatory release of all fish in all provincial jurisdictional environments from March 1, 2026, until the end of the season.

Fishing is prohibited year-round in:

• Mimica Stream, which flows into Lake Chepelmut.

• La Unión or In River, which originates in Lake Chepelmut and flows into Lake Yehuin, including an imaginary circle with a 200-meter radius from its mouth.

• Los Salmones Creek, Río Grande Department.

• San Luis Lagoon.

• Section of the Valdez River between the National Route No. 3 bridge and its mouth in Lake Fagnano, within an imaginary circle of 200 meters radius from the mouth.

Specific Conditions for Sport Fishing Sites

• Río Grande and its tributaries (Candelaria, Ona, Menéndez, Rasmussen, Moneta, and Herminita): mandatory catch and release for all salmonids until April 13, 2025, inclusive.

• Ewan Sur, Norte, and Fuego Rivers: mandatory catch and release along the entire river.

• Videla Stream (Fuego River basin): mandatory catch and release along the entire river.

• San Pablo River: only catch-and-release fishing permitted along the entire river.

• Lake Yakush, Indio River: sport fishing is prohibited in this area until further notice.

• Lake Yehuin: mandatory catch and release in the lodge area, access via Route “H,” and from boats.

• Hantuk (or Sutherland) Lagoon: mandatory catch and release.

• Palacios Lagoon: navigation with combustion engines is only allowed in the northwest sector of the lagoon, between Lake Fagnano and the pier of the Ushuaia Hunting and Fishing Association. In the rest of the lagoon, navigation with electric motors is permitted.

• Palacios River: fishing allowed starting January 1, 2026, with mandatory catch and release.

• Milna, Tuerto, Turbio Rivers and Subiabre Stream: fishing allowed starting January 1, 2025, with mandatory catch and release in the watercourse, its tributaries, and within an imaginary 200-meter radius from their mouths into Lake Fagnano.

• Negra Lagoon: mandatory catch and release; motorized navigation prohibited.

• Irigoyen River: only mandatory catch and release of all salmonids permitted. In the María Luisa sector, only fly-fishing ("Flycasting") is allowed.

• Malenguena River: only mandatory catch and release of all salmonids with fly-fishing gear; spoon fishing is authorized in a 200-meter stretch before its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean.

• Bombilla Lagoon: navigation with combustion engines is only permitted in the western sector at moderate speed without changing course, stopping, or drifting. Fishing from boats with combustion engines is prohibited throughout the lagoon.

• Margarita Lagoon: mandatory catch and release; navigation with combustion engines prohibited.

• Varela Lagoon: navigation with combustion engines prohibited.

• Tres Marías Lagoon (Lake Fagnano Bay): mandatory catch and release; navigation with combustion engines prohibited.

• Valdez River: sport fishing allowed with mandatory catch and release upstream from the National Route No. 3 bridge.

• Claro River: sport fishing with mandatory catch and release is only allowed in the section between the “Upper” boundary (Lat 54°25’25” S, Long 67°54’24” W) and the “Lower” boundary (Lat 54°25´56” S, Long 67°53’5” W). Access is only permitted on foot and requires a mandatory reservation through the SAPTDF system, with a maximum quota of 10 rods per day, as established by Resolution S.A. No. 56/2025 or its future amendments.

• Lake Chepelmut: sport fishing allowed with mandatory catch and release.

• Yehuin (reserve sector): only mandatory catch-and-release fishing is permitted in the lodge area, access via Route “H.” In the Provincial Reserve “CORAZÓN DE LA ISLA,” sport fishing is prohibited, according to Resolution S.A. No. 56/2025 or future updates.

Didymo algae

Didymo algae or moco de roca is an exotic organism that has entered Patagonia and, under certain circumstances, forms layers up to 25 cm thick that cover stream beds and pose a serious risk to freshwater ecosystems. This algae can remain viable out of water, in cool, humid and dark places for more than 40 days. For this reason, equipment related to aquatic activities such as fishing, among others, become vectors of propagation and can transfer the algae to other sites.

In order to prevent the spread of Didymo, in Tierra del Fuego it was decided that those entering the province should carefully wash and disinfect their fishing equipment (waders, wading boots, individual floats, boats, etc.), exposing them for at least one minute in the following solutions:

2% bleach

5% salt (500 g of common salt in 10 liters of water).

National Park

This year you can also fish in the National Park - in the Ovando and Lapataia rivers - but you will have to buy a different permit at the National Parks office, which is paid in cash.

Permits can be purchased at

Prices

For foreigners:

Daily ID for foreigners: $60,000
3-day ID for foreigners: $90,000
Weekly ID (7 days) for foreigners: $150,000
Full-season ID for foreigners: $200,000