Freestone · Granite · Los Lagos

Río Futaleufú, Chile

Río Futaleufú, Chile terrain map

The Futaleufú is better known worldwide for whitewater than for trout, and the river's turquoise, granite-walled canyons really are as striking as the rafting brochures claim — but the fishing quietly matches the scenery.

Poor · Brown Trout
Woolly Bugger · 12-14
Closed season
Season reopens 13 November. Plenty of other water available now.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • LevelLight rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp7.9°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Woolly Bugger
Woolly Bugger12-14
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Light rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp7.9°C
ClarityClear
Weather4°C
WindN 6 km/h
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent9.6 mm
Rain · ahead11.8 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
8°C est.ideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 2 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Andesiops (Patagonian Olive)Hatch
3
3
3
2
2
3
3
Patagonian Mayfly (Large)Hatch
3
3
2
2
3
Smicridea (Patagonian Caddis)Hatch
3
3
3
2
2
3
Patagonian Stonefly (Large)Hatch
2
2
3
3

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Argentine Patagonian continental permit (or Chilean Sernapesca licence) required
  • Rules vary by province, National Park and reach — confirm annexes before fishing.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
About this water

The Futaleufú is better known worldwide for whitewater than for trout, and the river's turquoise, granite-walled canyons really are as striking as the rafting brochures claim — but the fishing quietly matches the scenery. Clear, cold water over bedrock and boulder holds brown and rainbow trout that see relatively little fly pressure compared with Argentina's better-known Patagonian rivers, and they can run big on a diet of sculpins and baitfish. Streamers worked through pocket water and along seams below the rapids are the standard method, with dry-dropper rigs earning their keep in the calmer side channels. This is a river people fought to keep free-flowing against a major dam proposal, and fishing it still feels like a privilege rather than an entitlement.

  • Granite
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature63 × 28%17.6
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity31 × 12%3.7
Conditions total= 67
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
What would change the calculation
Warmer water — toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the temperature score.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Related guides
Booking & contacts