Chile Water Levels › Panguipulli Levels › Guide
Río Enco guide: a 10 km class II float from Lago Panguipulli to Lago Riñihue, access, season, flies and today’s live Enco water level.
See the live gauge → · Today's readings
The Enco links Lago Panguipulli to Lago Riñihue, starting near Choshuenco. It is one of the rivers that string together the lakes of this basin, with the Fuy upstream and the San Pedro downstream. Its banks are lined with vegetation rather than rock, and Volcanes Mocho and Choshuenco stand in the background.
Rivers of Chile describes about 10 km of class II water: wide-open rapids with big blue wave trains and very little manoeuvring. Beginner kayakers use it to practise ferries, eddy turns, bracing and rolling; at high water a few glassy surf waves appear. For rafts it is a calm scenic float. It is also a fishing river, and guided wooden drift boats are common in summer.
Off the west flank of Volcán Mocho, the Río Blanco feeds the Enco. It is a short springtime class III–IV steep creek that needs little water; above roughly 8–9 m³/s (300 cfs) it becomes a class V bobsled run. Reaching the put-in involves a hike of about 3.5 km from the road near Puente Río Blanco.
The Enco can be run all year, with high water in winter and spring. Flows can reach about 113 m³/s (4,000 cfs), but the gradient is gentle, roughly 3 m per km. Avoid January if you can: biting black flies (colihuachos) are fierce.
Our Panguipulli page shows the DGA station Río Enco en desagüe Lago Panguipulli, at the very start of the run. Because the lake regulates it, the Enco changes slowly and is a reliable option when nearby creeks are too high or too low.
From Lanco on Ruta 5, drive east to Panguipulli, then along the north shore of the lake to Choshuenco. From Pucón, the shortcut runs via Villarrica and Licán Ray.
The rapids are easy, but the river is big and cold, so beginners need a competent group. Watch for anglers’ boats and lines.
Yes. It is a class II river and a common place to learn basic kayak skills.
On <a href="https://chilewaterlevels.com/panguipulli/">chilewaterlevels.com/panguipulli</a>, from the DGA station at the Lago Panguipulli outlet.
Provisional real-time data from DGA Chile. Always scout and check conditions on the river.
Open the live gauge → · Español · Chile Water Levels
Sources: riversofchile.com/rio-enco · riversofchile.com/rio-blanco-del-enco · Updated 2026-10-26