Fly Fishing Bolivia: Golden Dorado, Lodges, Seasons and Tips
Location Details / Bolivia
Fly Fishing Bolivia: Golden Dorado, Lodges, Seasons and Tips
Bolivia fly fishing means golden dorado in the clear Amazon headwater rivers of Tsimane, inside the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory. Three lodges, Secure, Pluma and Agua Negra, fish the Sécure, Pluma, Itirizama and Agua Negra rivers from June to October, mostly by wet wading. Pricing through Frontiers International Travel is starting from $8,000 per angler.
Golden dorado are the reason anglers fly to Bolivia. In Tsimane, where the Andes drop into the Amazon, they hunt small, clear rivers you can wade and sight fish. Expect a week of walking, wet wading and casting big streamers at a fish built like a gold-plated jaw.
For the big-river version of the same fish, see our Argentina page; for the wider Amazon, see Brazil.
The best Bolivia story in our archive is about teeth. On Episode 12 of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, published May 7, 2019, Steve Rennalls, brand manager of Islander Reels, described a member of the Islander field team fishing for golden dorado in Bolivia. When he reached into the first fish's mouth with a pair of pliers to remove the hook, the dorado clamped down so hard he could not pull the pliers back out. Steve added that the dorado's tails are almost all chewed up. A year later, in an episode published May 15, 2020, the traveling angler Jeff Currier said that anyone researching golden dorado in Bolivia would find his day-by-day blog accounts from the Untamed Angling lodges he had fished there.
Top species
Golden dorado; also pacu, yatorana and surubi catfish
Best months
June through October, the published Tsimane lodge season
Top waters
Sécure River headwaters, Pluma, Itirizama, Agua Negra and Chimoro Creek in Tsimane
Access and rules
Fished only through the Tsimane lodges; park and indigenous land use fee $670; golden dorado catch and release
Nearest airports
Santa Cruz Viru Viru International (VVI), then a charter flight to the lodge airstrip
US entry
No visitor visa for stays up to 90 days; passport valid six months; yellow fever proof may be requested
Where to Fly Fish in Bolivia
Bolivia's fly fishing for golden dorado is concentrated in one place: Tsimane, a lodge program run in partnership with the Tsimane, Yuracaré and Mojeño communities who own the land. The Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory covers about 1,372,180 hectares across the Beni and Cochabamba departments; it became a national park in 1965 and an indigenous territory in 1990. Guests travel between pools by dugout canoe and on foot, and Frontiers International Travel says 99 percent of the fishing is done by wet wading or from the bank.
Sécure River headwaters (Tsimane Secure Lodge)
Tsimane Secure Lodge sits in the headwaters of the Sécure River, in mountainous rainforest, and fishes the main river plus two smaller tributaries. It takes six anglers a week.
Pluma, Itirizama and lower Sécure (Tsimane Pluma Lodge)
Tsimane Pluma Lodge fishes three rivers from one six-guest lodge: the Pluma, the Itirizama and the lower Sécure, for variety in water size within one week.
Agua Negra and Chimoro Creek (Tsimane Agua Negra Lodge)
Tsimane Agua Negra Lodge is the smallest program, four guests a week in single cabins. It fishes the Agua Negra, a smaller Sécure tributary with remote out-camps, and Chimoro Creek, a tiny jungle stream. Frontiers also lists a Tsimane heli fishing program, with no published price or season.
When to Go Fly Fishing in Bolivia
All three Tsimane lodges publish the same season: June through October. Frontiers lists daytime temperatures from 65°F to 95°F at Agua Negra. The table shows when each lodge runs, not a bite forecast; no operator we can cite publishes a peak month, so ask your Frontiers specialist which weeks match your goals.
| Program | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secure Lodge (6 anglers) | ||||||||||||
| Pluma Lodge (6 anglers) | ||||||||||||
| Agua Negra Lodge (4 anglers) |
Key:Published lodge season
Blank cells mean the lodge is closed.
Book a Local Pro in Bolivia
Guide or run a lodge in Bolivia? Get listed. No Bolivian guide, lodge or outfitter is in the FFIP Certified directory yet. Anglers planning a golden dorado trip read this page, and they book you direct.
Market Your ServicesBrowse every FFIP Certified pro in the guides and lodges directory.
Custom Flies and Rods for Bolivia
Tie flies or build rods for golden dorado? Get listed. No custom fly tyer or rod builder for Bolivian water is in the FFIP directories yet. Dorado shred flies, and anglers want durable baitfish patterns tied to survive the teeth.
Get ListedPlan Your Bolivia Trip With Frontiers
Frontiers books all three Tsimane lodges. Each is a seven-night, six-day package with six days of guided fishing, round-trip charter flights from Santa Cruz and two hotel nights in Santa Cruz. International airfare and the $670 park and indigenous land use fee are extra.
Via Frontiers International Travel
Tsimane Secure Lodge
Six anglers a week in the Sécure River headwaters and two tributaries, for golden dorado, pacu, surubi and yatorana.
Starting from $8,000 per angler
Via Frontiers International Travel
Tsimane Pluma Lodge
Six guests and three rivers from one lodge: the Pluma, the Itirizama and the lower Sécure.
Starting from $8,000 per angler
Via Frontiers International Travel
Tsimane Agua Negra Lodge
Four guests in single cabins on the Agua Negra and Chimoro Creek, with remote out-camps.
Starting from $8,000 per angler
We represent many great lodges through Frontiers International Travel, roughly 250 worldwide, and we will help you choose based on your travel, timing, budget and species.
Bolivia Tips from Podcast Guests
None of our library tips were recorded in Bolivia. These come from guests who fish golden dorado elsewhere, the Amazon and jungle rivers, and they travel straight to Tsimane.
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Pack an emergency layer for sudden weather shifts
Lance fished golden dorado in Argentina; a jungle storm can drop the temperature fast while you are soaked from wet wading.
Lance Kittel, traveling angler, on Belize, Argentina, etc, Why They Don't Have to be Once In A Lifetime -
Slim your travel packing to two outfits and simple leaders
Every Tsimane week includes a charter leg from Santa Cruz, so ask Frontiers for the bag limit and pack to it.
Lance Kittel, on the same episode -
Pack a multi-piece travel rod instead of checking a second bag
John's case for a six or seven-piece rod came from the Amazon; it also hikes better through jungle between Tsimane pools.
John Childress, author and traveling angler, on Amazon Fly Fishing and Preservation -
Strip-strike every subtle tap when fishing blind in murky water
Jesse's jungle rule from Costa Rica carries to dorado: a strip-strike, never a trout set, drives the hook into a hard, toothy mouth.
Jesse Males, Costa Rica fly fishing guide, on Episode 144 -
Make your streamer hover and kick when you pause the strip
A baitfish that stays alive on the pause draws the second eat after a missed slash.
Ryan Walker, Ozarks smallmouth bass guide, on Episode 146
Want more? Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library, sorted by region, water type, species and skill.
Hear Bolivia on the Podcast
Belize, Argentina, etc, Why They Don't Have to be Once In A Lifetime: Lance Kittel on golden dorado tactics, from rigging two rods (a floating line for poppers and an intermediate for streamers) to the strip set and flies tied to survive the teeth. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Guided EP 10: Jeff Currier: the traveling angler on jungle fishing, heavy tackle for fish you cannot let run, and the golden dorado trips in Bolivia he has written up day by day. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Also worth a listen: Golden Dorado, Peacock Bass, Pacú, Bicuda and Wolf Fish Fly Fishing in the Amazon with Captain Rafael Costa, who also talks about Bolivia's jungle rivers, and Episode 12 with Steve Rennalls, source of the pliers story above.
Shop the Water: Flies and Gear for Bolivia
Follow your lodge's gear list. Golden dorado chew through flies, so bring more baitfish patterns than you think you need, plus wet wading and sun protection for long days on foot. Flies first, then gear, all in stock in the FFIP shop.
Lefty's Deceiver Assortment, Size 1/0
Lefty's Deceiver Green/White, 1 Dozen
Clouser Minnow Assortment, Size 1/0
Clouser Deep Minnow Black, Size 1/0
Moonlit WF Saltwater Fly Line
Neoprene Wet Wading Sock
Fin-Flank Tarpon Sun Gloves
NIRVANA Sling Pack
Bolivia Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
How much does a golden dorado trip to Bolivia cost?
Through Frontiers International Travel, a Tsimane week at Secure, Pluma or Agua Negra Lodge is starting from $8,000 per angler for seven nights and six fishing days. That covers lodge meals, guiding, charter flights from Santa Cruz and two Santa Cruz hotel nights. International airfare and a $670 park and indigenous land use fee are extra.
When is the best time to fly fish for golden dorado in Bolivia?
The Tsimane lodges in Bolivia publish a June through October season, and that is the only window to fish them. No operator we can cite names a single peak month. Because Agua Negra takes four anglers a week and Secure and Pluma take six, prime weeks book early, so plan a season ahead.
Do US citizens need a visa to fish in Bolivia?
Not for a fishing trip. The US Embassy in Bolivia said on December 3, 2025 that US citizens can visit for tourism or business for up to 90 days in a year without a visa. You need a passport with six months of validity at entry, and you may be asked for an International Certificate of Yellow Fever Vaccination.
How physically demanding is a Tsimane trip?
A Tsimane week is one of the most physical trips in fly fishing. Frontiers says 99 percent of the fishing is done wet wading or from the bank, with daily travel by dugout canoe, in temperatures from 65°F to 95°F. Expect to walk between pools all day. Our guide to how physically demanding a fly fishing trip is covers how to prepare.
What rod and line do you need for golden dorado in Bolivia?
Frontiers recommends 7 to 9-weight rods rigged with tropical floating and sinking lines for the Tsimane lodges. On the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, Lance Kittel fished an 8 and a 9-weight for golden dorado in Argentina, one rigged with a floating line for poppers and one with an intermediate line for streamers, and always set the hook with a strip set.
Is golden dorado fishing in Bolivia catch and release?
Yes, at Tsimane. Fly Fisherman reports that the agreement between the outfitter and the indigenous communities calls for catch and release only for golden dorado, with sustainable harvest of some other species. A fixed share of each guest's stay goes to the communities, which own the land, lodges and camps.
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Book a TripFly Fishing Insider Podcast has a referral partnership with Frontiers International Travel. If you book after being introduced through us, we may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed October 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.
Sources: Lodges, seasons, prices, fees, tackle and access: Frontiers International Travel pages for Tsimane Agua Negra Lodge, Tsimane Secure Lodge, Tsimane Pluma Lodge and the Bolivia program list. Park area, dates and peoples: Wikipedia. Community partnership and catch and release: Fly Fisherman. Entry: US Embassy in Bolivia, December 3, 2025. Guest stories: Steve Rennalls, Jeff Currier and Lance Kittel on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast.