Paloma River at a glance
- Where
- South of Coyhaique, Aysén Region, Chilean Patagonia
- Course
- From Lago Desierto to Lago Caro
- Type of water
- Lake-fed: the lakes above it steady its flow
- Fish
- Brown and rainbow trout
- Rules
- Catch and release only, 12 October to 6 May
- Flow gauge
- None: the DGA runs no transmitting station on this reach
- How we fish it
- By cataraft, two anglers per boat
Where is the Paloma River?
South of Coyhaique, in the Aysén Region of Chilean Patagonia. On the map it is the Río La Paloma: it leaves Lago Desierto and runs northwest to Lago Caro, which drains through the Río Blanco (Oeste) into the Aysén River.
Lago Paloma, Lago Azul and Lago Desierto are also on our list of the rivers and lakes we float by cataraft.
What kind of river is the Paloma?
A lake-fed river, which makes it different from the freestones around Coyhaique. Chile's water authority, the DGA, notes that Lagos Caro, Elizalde, Paloma, Atravesado, Azul and Desierto regulate this part of the Aysén basin: they soften the floods and hold up the low water, so flows from January to March stay substantial and vary little.
A freestone such as the Simpson can gain half its flow in a week of weather. The Paloma, with lakes above it, changes more slowly. The DGA runs no transmitting flow station on it, so on our live river conditions it has no flow reading.
What fish are in the Paloma?
Brown and rainbow trout, the two trout species the DGA records in the Aysén basin. Because the rules require every fish to go back, the Paloma is fished for the take, not for the keep.
How do you fish the Paloma?
We float it by cataraft, two anglers per boat. Seen from above, one stretch runs as a shallow, clear channel between native forest on one bank and open pasture with fallen logs on the other. The day's water is chosen from flow and wind, and exact put-ins stay out of public copy because some are reached across private land.
Catch and release on the Paloma
The Paloma is the one river Sernapesca names on its own in the Aysén rules: release is mandatory from 12 October to 6 May, the whole open season, and the river is closed from 7 May to 11 October. The general Aysén river periods in the table below apply to the other rivers. We release every fish on every water. More in our guide to Aysén fishing rules and licence.
Rules on the Paloma and on other Aysén rivers
Río Paloma: catch and release only from 12 October to 6 May; closed from 7 May to 11 October.
| Dates | Other Aysén rivers |
|---|---|
| 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 float the Paloma River by cataraft out of Coyhaique. Catarafts are included in both programs where the water calls for them. See the rivers and lakes we float or what each program costs and includes.