Emperador Guillermo River at a glance
- Where
- North of Coyhaique, Aysén Region, Chilean Patagonia
- Joins
- The Mañihuales, on its left bank
- Catchment at the gauge
- 651.3 km²
- Type of water
- Freestone, fed by rain and snowmelt
- Fish
- Brown and rainbow trout
- How it is fished
- Wading
- Flow gauge
- DGA station Emperador Guillermo antes junta con Mañihuales (11307001-3)
Where is the Emperador Guillermo River?
North of Coyhaique, in the Aysén Region of Chilean Patagonia. It rises west of the Meseta Boscosa and flows into the Mañihuales on its left bank, three kilometres below the Mañihuales' junction with the Río Cañón. The Mañihuales then meets the Simpson to form the Aysén River. At its gauging station, above the Mañihuales junction, the DGA measures a catchment of 651.3 km².
What kind of river is it?
A freestone fed by rain and snowmelt, like the rest of the northern basin. On the morning of 7 August 2026 its gauge read 21.7 m³/s and 2.7 °C. The Deneki Outdoors team, who fish it, described it in 2010 as small enough to be called a stream and "strictly a walk and wade fishery": most of it can be reached by road and a short walk, except the last two miles, where it runs through a canyon.
What fish are in the Emperador Guillermo?
Brown and rainbow trout. Deneki calls it a classic dry fly and nymph fishery, with hoppers, stoneflies and caddis, and fish that are not huge but are eager to eat.
Season and rules
The Emperador Guillermo follows Sernapesca's rules for rivers in the Aysén Region, in the table below. Its gauge is one of the stations on our live river conditions. The full rules are in our guide to Aysén fishing rules and licence.
Aysén river rules, 2026–27 season
| Dates | Rule |
|---|---|
| 12 October – 30 November | Catch and release only |
| 1 December – 28 February | Up to 3 fish or 15 kg per angler per day |
| 1 March – 6 May | Catch and release only |
| 7 May – 11 October | Closed season |
Source: Sernapesca, management measures for recreational fishing, 2025–2027 seasons. Chinook salmon have their own season, and some spawning areas are closed all year. We guide from October 12 to April 30 and release every fish.
We guide out of Coyhaique, and the water for each day is chosen from flow and wind. See the rivers and lakes we float or the live river conditions.