Community-level management of lake fisheries is becoming an increasingly viable alternative in many areas of Amazonia. Population growth and increased commercial fishing have led to intense competition and conflict over fishery resources. Conservation can only be successful in these competitive environments when resource management is adapted to solving problems at the local level. This study examines the communal management of lake fisheries in Chino, a community on the Tahuayo river south of Iquitos in the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon. The history and organization of the management system is presented with an analysis of the relation between fishing efficiency and specific tenets of the management system.