Explore a lake full of surprises, where big brown trout lie in wait. Fish wooded shorelines, reed beds and deep drop-offs on a guided fly fishing trip in Nahuel Huapi National Park, Patagonia.
Near lakes Hess and Fonck, Roca Lake lies in a broad, forested valley in Nahuel Huapi National Park. Coihue, lenga and alerce trees frame its quiet shores and deep waters.
Fallen trees, reed beds, shallows and steep drop-offs provide shelter for trout. We fish from a motorboat, targeting big browns, rainbows and brook trout along the shores and around submerged structure.
We fish Roca Lake throughout the season, from November to April. Its structure is similar to that of Fonck Lake: fallen trees, extensive reed beds, shallows, submerged logs, rock walls and deep drop-offs provide food and shelter for plenty of trout. From a motorboat, we combine surface fishing near the reeds with streamers in deeper water, targeting rainbow trout, brook trout and the big browns that Roca is known for.
Early-season snowmelt keeps the lake high, and trout feed hard as they regain condition after spawning and winter. Streamers fished on sinking lines are key to working the drop-offs and deeper water. We also target submerged timber and steep ledges, prime holding areas for Roca’s big browns.
Behind the reed beds, the flooded flats offer rich feeding grounds. Here, we target trout cruising the shallows for dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, as well as minnows.
Summer · December and January
Big Dries and Explosive Takes
This is PRIME TIME on Roca Lake, when dry fly fishing is at its best. Dragonfly and damselfly hatches have trout looking up and feeding actively on the surface. Big attractor dries, including adult dragonfly imitations and Chernobyl Ant patterns, are the flies of choice.
There are plenty of opportunities to sight-fish, with the kind of surface action that draws anglers from around the world. We work the reed edges, shallow flats and drop-offs, watching for cruising fish and waiting for that explosive take—the one you’ll remember long after the trip.
February through April
Fast-Sinking Lines and Minnow Patterns
As the dragonfly hatch winds down and surface temperatures rise, trout drop into deeper water. We switch tactics, using high-density sinking lines to get our flies down to where the fish are holding. Puyenes, the lake’s small forage fish, become their main food source, making minnow patterns the flies of choice.
From mid-March onward, we can also find large numbers of colourful brook trout staging at the mouths of tributary streams before moving upstream to spawn.
