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Hess Lake/Channels

$650/every 2 anglers

A small yet stunning and highly productive body of water located in the southwestern part of Nahuel Huapi National Park. Its scenery is truly breathtaking: reed-lined shores create natural structures that provide excellent habitat and outstanding dry-fly fishing, especially during the height of summer.

Price: $650

Duration: 9/10 ours - Full Day

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Hess Lake, located in the southwestern part of Nahuel Huapi National Park about 35 miles from Bariloche, is a small yet stunning and highly productive body of water. Its scenery is truly breathtaking: reed-lined shores create natural structures that provide excellent habitat and outstanding dry-fly fishing, especially during the height of summer.

This intimate lake offers two standout highlights: spectacular views of Mount Tronador—permanently capped with snow and glaciers—and a network of channels that combine incredible scenery with excellent opportunities for fishing dries and nymphs. On good days, it’s possible to land catches well into the double digits. Like other waters in the basin, Hess Lake also offers the rare chance to achieve a Patagonian Grand Slam—catching brook, rainbow, and brown trout all in the same day.

In midsummer, Hess comes alive with the famous Dragonfly Hatch. This is one of the most exciting times to fish here, when large trout rise aggressively to strike big, foamy terrestrials such as Fat Alberts, Chernobyl Ants, or realistic dragonfly imitations. Throughout the season, we adapt our gear and techniques to make the most of every outing.

What’s Included
• Transfers to and from the agreed meeting point
• All fishing gear and boat (rods, flies, and wading gear if needed)
• A traditional Argentine lunch featuring steak and Malbec wine
• Refreshments throughout the day (water, soft drinks, and beer)

What’s Not Included
• Fishing license: We can arrange this in advance if needed. Current rates for foreign visitors (2026):
• Day license: USD 30
• Weekly license: USD 90
• Full season license: USD 180
• Gratuities for guides and/or drivers

Hess Lake is located about 35 miles from Bariloche. Part of the journey follows gravel roads, making the drive roughly an hour and a half. We typically meet between 7:00 and 8:00 AM at a designated point in Bariloche before heading to the lake to begin our day.

Once the boat and gear are ready, we fish from about 9:00–10:00 AM until 1:00 PM, when we pause for a well-deserved riverside meal. After lunch, we return to the water and continue fishing until around 4:00–5:00 PM, before heading back to your accommodation or the agreed meeting point.

This was an amazing fishing trip! The fishing, accommodations, and food were all incredible. I fished with these guys for three days – two floating the Manso River and one in Lago Hess. Dante was my guide and he got me on a nice mix of hefty rainbows and browns each day. First day they picked me up at my hotel in Bariloche. On the river, there were some pretty good caddis fly hatches and I fished mostly dries until the later part of the day. I lost count at 14 fish, all nice healthy fish, in the 15 inches -18 inch range. Each day lunch was done riverside with Dante firing up his portable grill and serving on a folding table. At the end of the day, we returned to a nice camp with all the comforts of home including a private tent with stand up head room and all my bags waiting. Tomas, who is also a guide, provided a well thought out camp setup and handled the cooking. Dinner time started with cocktails and appetizers followed by Argentine barbeque, salad and some nice sides. Breakfast had everything you could want from fruit and yogurt to eggs. The location of the camp made fishing the reach of the Manso we were on possible by saving us a ~2 hour drive to Bariloche each day. We launched the second day directly from the campground and fish were bigger, in the 16-20+ inch range. Not so much dry fly action and we fished more streamers. The Manso was gin clear and I was sight fishing the streamers. It was really a kick to see the monster browns turn for your streamer. The third day at Lago Hess was a “slow” day -I caught about 5 fish, all nice size browns, with three in the 4-6 pound range. Throughout Dante was on top of the leader/tippet and fly changes. Dante is a skilled fly tier and provided the all the flies for the trip. Each day had a lot of action and even the “slow” day was better that the best day in a lot of rivers I’ve fished. Our shuttle was run by Santiago who lives on the Manso. Him, Dante and Tomas are all locals that really know the river, have their finger on the pulse of current river conditions, and made sure I was on fish each day. Matias did a great job organizing everything. We discussed and he made sure I had the kind of fishing, cocktails, and meals I wanted. He also organized and provided all the gear – quality waders, reel, and rod. Super helpful if your limited on suit case capacity. Dante, Tomas, and Matias all speak good English and communication is no problem. And they’ll also help you with your Spanish if you’re learning and interested. Can’t say enough about these guys. If you’re in Bariloche and want to fish, I recommend Bariloche Fishing Trips!
Erick Miller
in the last week
We came to Bariloche hearing stories about the mystical monster trout that live in these waters. We said we would be happy if at least one of us caught one. We had our expectations exceeded with the amount of action we had. To enjoy a steak and Malbec picnic on a beautiful spot on the river made this the best day ever. Looking forward to planning my next trip down here—hopefully in the Fall to see some brown trout action!
Ryan Conlon
a month ago
A half day in the Limay River delivered 2 brown trout 50cm+ & 2 smaller rainbow trout in the boat and a cheaky one that I lost. Heaps of visuals from the boat with single fish swimming past or chilling on the bottom and a heap chopping in a backwater pocket that we couldn't land. Great day and well organised with Matias, an awesome guide. Thanks from this North Qld Aussie!
Stuart Flegler
2 weeks ago
We had such a great day fishing with Matias' guides. My wife and I had Dante. We also had Tommy and Ali (sp). The guys were amazing, the Limay River is one of the prettiest rivers on the planet. Did I mention the shore lunch!! One of our best meals in Bariloche, and definitely the best view, wine and service.
Mike McBrayer
10 months ago
The company arranged a wonderful trip to the Limay River. Aliosha is an excellent guide, very organized and patient. It was my first experience with fly fishing, and I was successful in catching fish (4 trouts) The best part was the beautiful scenery and the overall experience of the trip.
Camila Bertranou
3 months ago

FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t own fishing gear. Do you provide it?

No worries—we provide everything you need. All equipment is included and tailored to the waters you’ll be fishing, including rods, reels, lines, and flies.

Not at all. Our guides love introducing newcomers to this fascinating sport and will do their best to help you land your first trout on your very first fly-fishing experience. Alternatively, most of the waters we fish are also suitable for conventional spinning gear.

Absolutely. We’re happy to adapt meals to your dietary needs. Just let us know about any preferences or restrictions in advance, and we’ll make sure you enjoy the food as much as the scenery and the fishing.

We provide all fishing equipment, food, and beverages. You should bring:

  • Sunglasses (essential for both safety and comfort while fishing)
  • A warm layer, as Patagonia’s weather can change quickly
  • A hat and sunscreen for sun protection

Of course! They can relax and enjoy the stunning scenery and delicious food. And who knows—after a day surrounded by Patagonia’s beauty, they might even be tempted to give fishing a try.