What you can fish each month in Argentina, and what is closed
Each destination with its calendar and what its regulations say: licence, size limits, bag limits and closed seasons, with the official source and the date we checked it.
Regulations checked
Short answer
There is no "fishing all year round": the season is species × river level × regulations, and closed seasons change by province and by year.
This page covers 8 destinations. Everything comes from each guide, with the authority that sets the rule and the verification date; if a fact is missing, we could not confirm it.
Golden dorado: most active in warmer water, in rapids, lagoon mouths and sandbanks. Lures and trolling.
March – August
Surubí: deep holes and drop-offs of the Paraná, with live bait, anchored or drifting.
December – March
Pacú and boga: near floating vegetation and tree-lined banks.
28 April – 2 May 2027
50th National Surubí Festival. Peak demand for lodging and transport: book early.
Before every trip
Check the Paraná level at Goya on the INA site, the forecast and current closures. Seasons are indicative and shift with the river.
What the regulations say
Fishing in Corrientes requires a sport fishing licence, issued online through the provincial Natural Resources portal, with categories for bank and boat fishing and by residence (Corrientes, rest of Argentina, foreign visitors). Carry the receipt and your ID. Residents of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos or Chaco with a valid licence can fish in Corrientes under the regional mutual-recognition agreement, following local rules; check its scope before you travel. Golden dorado is a Provincial Natural Monument (Law 6730) and is catch and release. In the Ysoró creek, harvesting fish is banned: catch and release only (Law 6655). For surubí, the national reference minimum size is 85 cm; check the current Corrientes rule. The province sets spawning closures and, when needed, extraordinary closures on stretches of the Paraná (the 2026 ones were upstream, in the Alto Paraná, far from Goya). Always check the current ones for the stretch you plan to fish.
Dorado: most active in warm water. Fly fishing on the Corriente River and its side channels; lures and trolling on the Paraná. Always catch-and-release.
March – August
Surubí: regional reference, in deep holes and drop-offs of the Paraná. Large fish are also reported outside those months.
December – March
Pacú: summer season, near floating vegetation and wooded banks.
February
National Pacú Festival (in 2026, 8–15 February). Peak demand for lodging: book early.
Before every trip
Check the Paraná level, the forecast and the closures in force. The periods are indicative and change with the river.
What the regulations say
Fishing in Corrientes requires a sport fishing licence. You get it online on the Recursos Naturales portal: fill in the form with your ID (DNI), pay through the digital gateway and receive the credential with a QR code, which you can show on your phone together with your ID. There are shore and boat categories, and rates by residence (Corrientes residents, rest of the country, foreigners); retirees, pensioners and children under 12 apply for an exemption at no cost. On the Corriente River and the side channels of its delta only sport fishing with a rod or hand line is allowed: no nets or longlines. The dorado is a Provincial Natural Monument (Law 6730) and is fished catch-and-release. The pacú has a minimum size of 45 cm, and local operators recommend releasing it in streams and marshes. Spawning closures (or the regime of fixed days per week) are set every year by Recursos Naturales: if you travel between November and January, check the current provision before you leave.
Torneo Apertura of the dorado season (in 2026, 2 to 5 April, catch and release).
August
National Dorado Festival (61st edition in 2026, 14 to 17 August, catch and release). Peak demand for lodging: book early.
Before every trip
Check the Paraná level at the Paso de la Patria station (INA), the forecast and the closures in force.
What the regulations say
Fishing in Corrientes requires a sport fishing licence, bought online on the Natural Resources portal. Disposición 853/22 (Official Gazette, 26/12/2022, in force until another act replaces it) sets dorado and surubí as catch and release only, and gives minimum sizes and bag limits for pacú (45 cm, 1 per licence and a single fish per boat), patí (70 cm, 2), boga (45 cm, 2 per angler and up to 6 per boat) and tararira (30 cm, 5). Fish you keep may only be moved within the town where they were caught. The province can order extraordinary closures on stretches; they change every year, so check the current ones with Natural Resources before you go.
Fiesta Provincial del Dorado Entrerriano (33rd edition in 2026: 25 and 26 September). Other festivals and tournaments: dates not confirmed.
Before every trip
Check the Paraná level (INA) and confirm the closures in force with the Entre Ríos Natural Resources and Enforcement Directorate.
What the regulations say
You need a sport fishing licence to fish in Entre Ríos. According to the table of the Entre Ríos Natural Resources and Enforcement Directorate (consulted on 22/10/2026): annual licence for Entre Ríos residents $15,444.44; annual licence for residents of other provinces $24,251.60; 4-day temporary permit (other provinces) $5,488.52; foreigners (5 days) $24,251.60. We could not confirm online the current resolution on sizes, bag limits and closed seasons: ask the Directorate or your guide before you go.
Rivers in the annex close on 31 May 2027; some waters close on 1 May.
What the regulations say
General Regulation of Continental Sport Fishing of Patagonia, 2026/27 season. Annexes for the environments of Neuquén and of the National Parks read on 30/10/2026 in copies hosted by a third party (AICACYP); the official site did not answer. Permits at cazaypesca.neuquen.gob.ar; 2026/27 values from the Provincial Fauna Directorate (16/10/2026). The validity of the Patagonian permit was read in the Neuquén and Río Negro annexes (texts copied from the regulation site by the owner on 30/10/2026); the general rules (felt soles) were not read in the general 2026/27 text.
1 October 2026 to 3 May 2027. Catch and release, absolutely.
General season
1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027 (Disposición 241/26).
What the regulations say
Disposición 241/2026 (22/09/2026, in force from 1/10/2026), General Regulation of Continental Sport Fishing of Santa Cruz, 2026/27 season. Strobel: open all year, catch and release, single hook barbed or barbless, no motors. Barrancoso: 1/10/2026 to 3/5/2027, absolute release, daily disinfection certificate. Personal permit through SIPESQ. Read on 30/10/2026 in two copies of the regulation; the exclusion distances that appear in only one of them are not published.
Lake Nahuel Huapi and Lake Mascardi close on 1 May 2027; the Limay inside the Park closes on 31 May 2027.
What the regulations say
General Regulation of Continental Sport Fishing of Patagonia, 2026/27 season. Annexes for the National Parks and Neuquén read on 30/10/2026 in copies hosted by a third party (AICACYP); general points of the Río Negro annex copied from the regulation site by the owner the same day. Permit values from the portal of the Mesa Directiva Zona Andina. The list of Río Negro environments and the general text (Articles 4 and 22) were not read.
Pejerrey closed season across the province: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only, up to 10 pieces per angler per day at Chascomús, no competitions or powerboating (Disposición 89/08, Ministry closed seasons page).
Rest of the year
Fishing with a licence and respecting the 25 cm minimum size. Confirm limits and current orders with the Ministry.
Before every trip
Check the day's wind and the current orders: they change by resolution.
What the regulations say
Law 11.477 and Decree 3237/95 (Buenos Aires province): sport fishing licence required (free for under-14s, retirees and those covered by Resolution 46/05; price of the others: ask the Ministry). Pejerrey minimum size: 25 cm. Closed season 1/9 to 30/11: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only, up to 10 pieces per angler per day at Chascomús, no competitions or powerboating, outboards at 15 km/h max (checked 27/10/2026).
Frequently asked questions about the fishing calendar
When is the best time to fish in Argentina?
It depends on the species and the place. On the Litoral, dorado and surubí follow the Paraná level and operators repeat two windows, October–November and March–May; lagoon pejerrey is an autumn and winter fish; Patagonian trout have a regulated season, generally November to April or May. Each destination on this page says its own.
Is there a closed season for dorado in Argentina?
Each province sets its own. In Corrientes dorado is catch-and-release only all year (Disposición 853/22); other provinces set closures by dates or bag limits. Check the destination's regulations before travelling: extraordinary closures change every year.
Where do I confirm a closed season?
With each province's authority, linked in every destination. Our guides say when we read it; if your trip is later, check the source again or ask your guide.