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Fishing style
Motorboat fishing
Species
Brown, rainbow & brook trout
Trip season
November to April
Your local outfitter
Southern Rivers Patagonia

The most productive lake in the Manso River basin

Fonck Lake: A Haven for Brook Trout… and Browns

Set in a deep mountain valley in the western reaches of Nahuel Huapi National Park, Fonck Lake is surrounded by forests of coihue, ñire and lenga, with Cerro Tronador rising in the background.

The area’s most productive lake offers a wealth of fishable structure: fallen timber, extensive reed beds, shallow flats, tributary streams, sheer rock walls and deep drop-offs. We explore the lake by motorboat, targeting brook trout, browns and rainbows.

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Angler holding a brook trout on Fonck Lake, with forested mountains in the background, near Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina.
Angler holding a brown trout on Fonck Lake, in front of a shore lined with native forest, near Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina.

Fishing through the season

Fonck Lake Fishing Season and Techniques

Our guided trips on Fonck Lake run from November through late April. Early in the season, we work the reed edges and submerged structure. Summer brings the much-anticipated dry fly action, with trout looking up for dragonflies and damselflies. Later in the season, we shift our focus to deeper water and tributary mouths. We explore the lake by motorboat, targeting brook trout, browns and rainbows around fallen timber, shallow flats, rock walls and drop-offs, adjusting our tactics and presentations to each spot and the way the fish are feeding.

A school of brook trout in the waters of Fonck Lake, near Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina.

School of brook trout

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Early Season · November

Hungry Trout and Streamer Action

November brings aggressive feeding as trout make up for the lean winter months. We fish streamers on sinking lines to work the lake’s drop-offs and deeper structure. In sheltered bays and shallow flats, floating lines let us target trout feeding on dragonfly and damselfly nymphs along the weed beds. There are often opportunities to sight-fish to feeding trout in skinny water, making for exciting, visual fishing. Whether we’re working the shallows with a floating line or getting streamers down deep, November often delivers highly productive days on the water.

December through Late January

Floating Lines and Big Attractor Dries

Summer brings one of Fonck Lake’s most anticipated events: the dragonfly hatch. As on nearby Hess and Roca lakes, trout key in on adult dragonflies and damselflies at the surface. Floating lines and big attractor dries come into their own, with frequent opportunities to sight-fish to feeding trout. We work shoreline structure from the boat, watching closely for any sign of movement. When a trout moves onto a well-presented fly and erupts through the surface, it’s a moment you won’t forget.

February through April

Fishing Deep with Minnow Patterns

As summer winds down and the dragonfly hatch tapers off, trout on Fonck Lake move into deeper water, following a similar seasonal pattern to nearby Roca Lake. We change tactics, using high-density, fast-sinking lines to work deep water and submerged structure. Small forage fish become an increasingly important food source, making small streamers and minnow patterns the flies of choice. From mid-March onward, brook trout gather at tributary mouths, staging before their spawning runs. It’s a rewarding time to hook into some quality fish in a spectacular setting.

Southern Rivers Patagonia · Fonck Lake

Guided Fly Fishing Trips on Fonck Lake

Choose how you would like to experience Fonck Lake.

01

Full-Day Fly Fishing Trips

A full day to explore the water with your guide.

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Overnight trips · 1–2 nights

Extend your time on the water with a tailored overnight itinerary.

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Río Manso Lodge

All-inclusive lodge stays with guided lake fishing.

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Keep exploring Patagonia

Nine waters. Endless possibilities.

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Fonck Lake surrounded by reeds and native forest, with snow-covered mountains in the distance, near Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina.

Fonck Lake · Patagonia, Argentina

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School of brook trout · Fonck Lake