River Sarca Val Genova

This beautiful branch of the River Sarca with its tributaries Rio Lares, Rio Folgorida and Rio Siniciaga, rises from its sources in Valgenova and ends after about 10 km, above the village of Pinzolo, near the confluence with the Sarca di Campiglio branch of the river.

It lies just a few kilometres by road from the village of Pinzolo, near the stunningly beautiful Nardis waterfalls; the road then continues as far as Rifugio Bedole.

This branch of the Sarca features a natural riverbed, banks covered with vegetation, clear water, consistent capacity and large potholes and waterfalls which create a favourable habitat for the beautifully coloured brown and a number of marble trout. The trout are all wild and uniquely rustic.
The best catches are made using natural bait during spring and autumn, as the river usually becomes a raging torrent in the summer due to the glaciers melting.

Most of the water received by the Sarca di Val Genova mountain stream comes from ice and snow melt. The main glacier tongues (vedrette), which provide the melt water, all form part of the Adamello glacier and are:

Vedretta di Lares which gives rise to the Rio Lares tributaryVedretta di Folgorida which gives rise to the Rio di Folgorida tributaryVedretta della Lobbia and del Mandrone which give rise to the Sarca di Val Genova

There are also a number of non-glacial tributaries, the main one being Rio Seniciaga.

Over the last few years the glaciers have generally speaking started to lose their winter covering of snow from July, bringing a large quantity of water full of sand and glacial silt downstream, especially during the hottest periods. Glacial silt is a finely ground grey sand trapped in the glacier during the processes of erosion and remains in suspension in the water for dozens of kilometres. This phenomenon, which is natural and to some extent has always existed, has become more marked in the last twenty years with the retreat of the glacier and the releasing of greater quantities of water as a result of the extremely important minimum vital flow discharges.

Though the glacier melt water does not interrupt the feeding of the fish, it does make fishing less effective, especially in the period when it is more marked. However, a slight increase in water capacity can be of benefit to some fishing techniques.

Access to Val Genova from around mid June to mid September is regulated by the Adamello Brenta Nature Park.