Estancia Laguna Verde is a 45,000 acre private ranch on Lago Strobel, or “Jurassic Lake,” located approximately 4.5 hours from the closest airport of El Calafate, Argentina . . . right smack in the middle of nowhere! Jurassic is a massive sixty-five square kilometer lake stocked decades ago with rainbow trout that have evolved to enormous sizes feeding on the presence of huge scuds and baitfish. It is a one-of-a-kind destination where the average sized rainbow weighs in at a solid ten pounds, and fish exceeding twenty pounds are landed each season.
Guests at Laguna Verde enjoy the world-class fishing on Lago Strobel, as well as private access to Moro creek and another dozen smaller lakes on the property – all loaded with huge rainbows. Exclusive access to several miles of the Barrancoso River is also a tremendous bonus for anglers when fish congregate . . . often yielding excellent sight casting opportunities for these dinosaur-sized rainbows on foamy, dry flies. The giant estancia has an improved road network allowing anglers and guides to comfortably navigate around and access miles of Strobel’s shoreline using Toyota Hilux pickup trucks.
There is quite simply nothing like it. Estancia Laguna Verde has virtually exclusive access to this incredible resource along with fifteen other smaller, impressive lakes, a smaller creek, and a traditional freestone river on their private property that diversifies the angling experience. Although Santa Cruz is a popular tourist destination in Patagonia for adventurous tourists, travelers head out to Estancia Laguna Verde for one reason only . . . the biggest rainbow trout on the planet.
Location: Lago Strobel, El Calafate, Argentina
Species: Giant Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout
Seasonality: October - April
Rates: 7 Nights / 6 Days - $6,500 Per Person (solo room / shared guide)
Reach out to our team in the travel department to learn more about our experiences at Estancia Laguna Verde.
Phone: (888) 824-5420 or (214) 219-2500
Email: travel@tailwatersflyfishing.com
Jurassic Lake truly is something special - a fishery that has quickly earned its reputation as the most prolific rainbow trout fishery on earth. This natural stillwater with its 15-mile shoreline, ocean-sized swells, and breathtakingly clear blue waters is a natural phenomenon, and - until relatively recently - free of any trout. In the few short years since their introduction, the lake’s rainbows have quickly reached massive proportions, due largely to the lake’s staggering population of freshwater scuds. Trout in the 6-12 pound category are simply average, and fish in excess of 20 pounds are seen here on a fairly regular basis.
Unlike steelhead or sea-run brown fishing, where anglers consider a couple of fish landed per week a success, Lago Strobel and the surrounding lakes and rivers offer a six+ month season (October – April) for uneducated and cooperative rainbows. Estancia Laguna Verde operates an elaborate program using comfortable Hilux trucks to access all the “coasts” of Logo Strobel, as well as fifteen smaller lakes, a proper freestone, and a smaller creek on the ranch. Having exclusive access to miles and miles of the shoreline on the estancia’s 45,000 acre lakefront property ensures guests have well rested water every single day and options to fish numerous shorelines and coves that get anglers out of the wind.
The twelve bedroom Estancia House sits on a small bluff overlooking Laguna Verde Lake. The accommodations are incredibly sophisticated given the remoteness of their location. In addition to spacious bedrooms with private baths, the lodge has a lovely dining room and bar, outdoor wooden deck, and a wader drying room. Although we recommend you bring your own equipment, the lodge also has a modest fly shop with some leaders and lines available for purchase, as well as loaner waders, boots, rods, and reels complementary for guest use.
The facility is also equipped with wireless internet as well as satellite television and telephone. Meals are traditional Argentine with lots of beef, lamb, and of course asados (Argentine BBQ), and incredible wines from Mendoza, Neuquen, and other popular wine growing regions of Argentina. The service, comfort level, equipment, vehicles, and organization of the Laguna Verde operation is on par with top tier lodges found anywhere…a real feat considering the logistical challenges of its remoteness. Adjacent to the lodge, Laguna Verde’s wine and cheese cave houses thousands of bottles of wine personally selected by the lodge owners, as well as a large assortment of local Patagonian and Argentine cheeses.
Guests travel to Buenos Aires via direct overnight flight from several U.S. cities including New York, Miami, Houston, and Dallas/Ft. Worth International airports — arriving into Buenos Aires the following morning.
Guests traveling straight through then gather their luggage, clear customs, and are met by a driver who transfers the group across town to the Domestic Airport (AEP) for the flight to El Calafate. Once in Calafate, anglers arriving Friday afternoon spend one night in a local hotel and are met by a representative from Laguna Verde on Saturday morning and driven approximately 4.5 hours to the lodge.
Estancia Laguna Verde enjoys a wonderfully long season from October – April. There is really no “best” time to partake in the lake fishing, as it fishes consistently for the six+ months the lodge is open. Those interested in the river fishing should concentrate their efforts in the October/November/December and March/April time frames…and full week trips are encouraged during this time.
As with all low latitude, mountainous regions, weather in Argentine Patagonia is very unpredictable. Jurassic Lake is near Tierra del Fuego, the end of the South American continent. Although warmer days can occur during the height of summer, anglers should come prepared for temperatures ranging from 30-80 degrees nearly all season long. Fishing conditions are frequently very windy (unless you’re lucky), rain can occur at any time, and temperature variations are significant no matter the month you visit.
Although fishing is the predominant activity at Estancia Laguna Verde, the lodge can assist in organizing several adventurous non-angling activities in the Calafate area. Calafate is a very popular area for touring nearby glaciers by helicopter, four wheel drive tours, as well as a hotbed for bird watchers. The famous Santa Cruz River is also within reasonable driving distance for those who are interested in this new and exciting Steelhead fishery.
| Lodging / Fishing | Private Room / Shared Guide |
| 7 Nights / 6.5 Days | $6,500 per person |
| 5 Nights / 4.5 Days | $5,200 per person |
| 4 Nights / 3.5 Days | $4,400 per person |
| Lodging / Fishing | Private Room / Shared Guide |
| 7 Nights / 6.5 Days | $7,500 per person |
| 5 Nights / 4.5 Days | $6,200 per person |
| 4 Nights / 3.5 Days | $5,400 per person |
Single Private Guide +35% of the Rate
Tailwaters Travel must adhere to the cancellation policies of the guides, outfitters and lodges which it represents. Laguna Verde’s policy follows: A non-refundable fifty percent deposit is due at the time of booking to confirm all reservations. No refunds are given unless a replacement angler can be found. Full payments are required at 90 days from departure. No refunds or credits will be given due to fishing time lost to inclement weather. Refunds of deposits/payments made on credit cards will be charged a 3.5% service charge to fully compensate Tailwaters Travel for all bank charges incurred. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgement that registrant has read and accepts the cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses.
Given the strict cancellation and refund policies associated with nearly all fishing packages, we cannot stress enough the importance of obtaining travel insurance to protect your investment. Redpoint Travel Protection / Ripcord offers competitive medical/cancellation/interruption coverage to couple with their industry-leading medical evacuation services. Click here to learn more and contact us to generate a quote.