Poonch River and Mahaseer National Park

The Poonch flows through a narrow valley below Tatta Pani, with steep green hills on both banks. The river and several of its tributaries are protected as the Poonch River Mahaseer National Park, gazetted in 2010 to conserve a globally threatened freshwater fish, the golden mahaseer.

Recreational fishing is licensed and tightly regulated; the local AJK Fisheries Department issues permits and runs guided fishing trips. The walk along the riverbank below the springs is easy and pleasant for an hour or two, with views back up to the bathing terraces and across to forested hills on the eastern bank. Best avoided after heavy rain, when the river runs fast and dirty.

things to do sight
A story
The Poonch was declared a national park in 2010 specifically to protect the dwindling population of golden mahaseer, a large freshwater game fish historically prized by British colonial-era anglers as the "tiger of the rivers" — fish over 20 kg were once routine. Damming and overfishing have reduced the species across most of South Asia, and the Poonch corridor is now one of its few protected breeding grounds.