Long before Guatapé became a bucket-list photo stop, the reservoir was — and still is — a working body of water for local fishermen, whose relationship to it predates the tourism boom by decades.
A livelihood shaped by an artificial reservoir
Fishing on the embalse has always been shaped by the fact that it's a man-made reservoir rather than a natural lake — a body of water created specifically for hydroelectric power in the 1970s, which fishing communities adapted to as their new working environment after the original valley was flooded.
From subsistence to sport fishing
Alongside traditional local fishing, the reservoir has more recently developed a recreational and competitive sportfishing scene — including organized national-level tournaments (black bass fishing competitions have run multiple editions on the reservoir), drawing participants well beyond the immediate area and adding a new dimension to the reservoir's fishing identity.
Fishing meets tourism
Some local fishing knowledge and access has found its way into the tourism economy directly — fishing-focused boat trips are one of the reservoir's boat tour options, letting visitors experience a version of the working relationship locals have long had with the water.
A tradition still present, if less visible
Tourists overwhelmingly experience the reservoir through party boats and photo-op lanchas — the quieter, ongoing fishing tradition running alongside all of that is easy to miss unless you specifically look for it, but it's very much still part of the town's relationship with its own water.