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Region Index

North Canterbury > Fishing Regulations

Angling regulations are updated annually. Each region has specific regulations for individual rivers and lakes within the framework of national angling regulations.

When fishing in the North Canterbury region, please ensure you are aware of and adhere to local regulations at all times.

2007/2008 regulations for North Canterbury

Reference to Description: New Zealand Gazette, No. 83, 24 May 1990, page 1861

1. DEFINITIONS

The North Canterbury Fish and Game Region is divided into two zones:

“Eastern Zone”: The area to the east of a line extending from the white posts on the Rakaia River (near the Coleridge Power Station), to the confluence of the Staircase Stream and the Waimakariri River (above Woodstock), to the Oxford – Glentui Road Bridge on the Ashley River, to the junction of the Hurunui River with the South Branch, to the junction of the Waiau and Hope Rivers; and excluding Lake Rubicon.

“Western Zone”: The area to the west of the eastern zone plus Lake Rubicon.

2. OPEN SEASON

Except as closed under 3 or restricted elsewhere in the notice.

Rivers / Lake

Season

Permitted Method

Trout
Limit

Salmon
Limit

Ada River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Ashley River, above Oxford – Glentui Road Bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

1

0

Ashley River, below Oxford – Glentui Road Bridge

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Avon River

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Boyle River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Broken River

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

1

0

Cam River, above the State Highway 1 Bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Cam River, below the State Highway 1 Bridge

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Cass Hill Stream (Bullock Creek)

Closed

None

0

0

Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Coleridge Tailrace

1 Oct – 31 Mar

Spinner/fly

2

0

Coleridge, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

and

1 June – 31 Aug

Spinner/fly

2**

4**

Courtenay, Lake

All year

All legal methods

2

2

Cust River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

0

Double Hill Stream

Closed

None

0

0

Ellesmere, Lake

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Esk River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Evelyn, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Forsyth, Lake

All year

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Georgina, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Glenariffe Stream

Closed

None

0

0

Goat Hill Stream

1 Oct – 31 Mar

Spinner/fly

2

0

Grasmere, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Guyon, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Halswell Canal, above the Duck Pond Road Bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Halswell Canal, below the Duck Pond Road Bridge

All year

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Halswell River, above the Seabridge Road Bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Halswell River, below the Seabridge Road Bridge

All year

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Harper River

1 Dec – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Harts Creek

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Hawdon, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Hawkins River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Heathcote River

All year

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Henrietta, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Henry River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Hope River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Hororata River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Hurunui River, above Lake Sumner

1 Dec – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

1

0

Hurunui River, between Lake Sumner and South Branch confluence

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Hurunui River, below the South Branch confluence

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Hurunui River, South Branch

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

1

0

Hydra Waters

Closed

None

0

0

Ida, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Fly fishing only

2

n/a

Irwell River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Kaiapoi Lakes

All year

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Kaiapoi River, above the Cust Main Drain confluence

1 Oct – 31 Mar

All legal methods*

2

2

Kaiapoi River, below the Cust Main Drain confluence

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Kaituna River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Katrine, Loch

3 Nov – 30 Apr

and

1 Jun – 30 Sep

Spinner/fly

2

2

Lake, Stream

1 Oct – 31 Mar

Spinner/fly

2

0

Leader River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Lee Stream

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Letitia, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Lewis River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

LII (L2) River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Lilian, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Lyndon, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

and

1 Jun – 31 Aug

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Mandamus River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Manuka Point Stream

Closed

None

0

0

Marymere, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Fly fishing only

2

n/a

Mason, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Minchin, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Monck (Catherine), Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Fly fishing only

2

n/a

Monopolies Pond

All year

All legal methods

2

n/a

Nina River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Okuku River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Okuti River, above the Te Oka Bay Road Bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Okuti River, below the Te Oka Bay Road Bridge

All year

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Pahau River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Pearson, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

and

1 Jun – 30 Sep

Spinner/fly

2

2

Porter River

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

1

0

Poulter River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Rakaia River, above the Coleridge Tailrace confluence

1 Oct – 31 Mar

Spinner/fly

2

0

Rakaia River, below the Coleridge Tailrace confluence

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Rotokohatu, Lake

All year

All legal methods

2

n/a

Rubicon, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Ryton River

1 Dec – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Saltwater Creek

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Sarah, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Fly fishing only

2

n/a

Selfe, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

and

1 Jun – 30 Sep

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Selwyn River, above the State Highway 77 bridge (Glentunnel)

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Selwyn River between the Upper Huts and State Highway 77 bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Selwyn River, below the Upper Huts

All year

All legal methods*

2

n/a

South Branch of Waimakariri (Otukaikino Creek), above Dickies Road Bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

South Branch of Waimakariri (Otukaikino Creek), below Dickies Road Bridge

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Sheppard, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Fly fishing only

2

n/a

Slovens Creek

3 Nov – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

1

0

Styx River, above the Marshlands Road Bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Styx River, below the Marshlands Road Bridge

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Sumner, Lake

All year

Spinner/fly

2

2

Taylor, Lake

3 Nov – 30 Apr

and

1 Jun – 30 Sep

Spinner/fly

2

n/a

Tentburn Stream

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

2

Waiau River, above the Hope River confluence

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Waiau River, below the Hope River confluence

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Waikari River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Waimakariri River, above Staircase Stream confluence

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Waimakariri River, below the Staircase Stream confluence

All year

All legal methods*

2

2

Waipara River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Wairewa River, above the Te Oka Bay Road Bridge

1 Oct – 30 Apr

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Wairewa River, below the Te Oka Bay Road Bridge

All year

All legal methods*

2

n/a

Wilberforce Diversion

1 Dec – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Wilberforce River

1 Oct – 30 Apr

Spinner/fly

2

0

Winding Creek

Closed

None

0

0

Notes to above table:

*See section 6 for further restrictions on bait fishing for sports fish.

**See section 8 for further restrictions of daily bag limits.

2.2 All lakes, rivers and streams in the Eastern zone not mentioned in 2:

1 October to 30 April All legal methods 2 trout, 2 salmon

2.3 All lakes in the Western zone not mentioned in 2:

3 November to 30 April Spinner, fly 2 trout

2.4 All tributaries of Western zone lakes not mentioned in 2:

1 December to 30 April Spinner, fly 2 trout

3. CLOSED WATERS

3.1 No licence holder shall fish for sports fish in the following waters:

Avon River between the Armagh and Barbadoes Streets bridges

Cass Hill Stream

Double Hill Stream

Glenariffe Stream

Hydra Waters

Lake Marion

Manuka Point Stream

St Annes Lagoon near Cheviot

The tailrace of the Highbank Power Station

Winding Creek

Within 100m of the outfall of any licensed fish farm


3.2 No licence holder shall fish for coarse fish in the following waters:

Clearwater Resort fishing lakes

Christchurch Groynes lakes

Ferrymead Park lakes

3.3 No licence holder shall fish for salmon in the following waters:

Hacketts Creek from 1 March to 30 April

The Kowai River and its tributaries from 1 March to 30 April

Western zone rivers

3.2 No licence holder aged over 17 years as of 1 October 2007 shall fish in the Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes or Courtenay Lake.

4. AUTHORISED TACKLE

See First Schedule.

5. COARSE FISHING WATERS

Kaiapoi Lakes

Monopolies Pond

Rotokohatu Lake

6. BAIT FISHING WATERS

6.1 A person may bait fish for trout in the Eastern zone between 1 October and 30 April only, except at:

6.1.1 Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes and Courtenay Lake where bait fishing is permitted all year.

6.1.2 Selwyn River upstream of State Highway 77 bridge where bait fishing is prohibited all year

6.2 Bait fishing for trout is prohibited in the Western zone.

6.3 Bait fishing for salmon is prohibited except in the:

6.3.1 Kaiapoi River between 1 October and 30 April

6.3.2 The Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes all year

6.3.3 Courtenay Lake


7. USE OF BOATS

7.1 Fishing from boats which are being mechanically propelled is permitted in:

All rivers Lake Forsyth

Lake Coleridge Lake Sumner

Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora)


7.2 Fishing from boats which are not being mechanically propelled is permitted in:

All rivers

All eastern zone lakes Lake Pearson

Lake Coleridge Lake Selfe

Lake Evelyn Lake Sumner

Lake Georgina Lake Taylor

Lake Lyndon Loch Katrine

8. DAILY LIMIT BAGS

8.1 No licence holder shall take, kill or be in possession of more than 1 tench from the Coarse Fishing Waters named in Section 5.

8.2 In addition to the daily limit bags described in Sections 2 and 8.1, no licence holder shall take, kill or be in possession of more than 4 sports fish.

9. FISH LENGTH


9.1 Maximum length:

(a) Ashley River above the Oxford – Glentui Bridge 400mm

(b) Broken River and its tributaries (including Winding
Creek, Porter River and Slovens Creek) 400mm

(c) The Hurunui River above Lake Sumner 400mm

(d) The South Branch of the Hurunui River 400mm

(e) Tench in Coarse Fishing Waters 150mm

(f) Other waters No restriction

9.2 Minimum length No restriction

10. HOURS OF FISHING

10.1 Western zone lakes which are open to fishing between 1 June – 31 August: 5.00am to 12.00 midnight only.

10.2 All other waters No restriction

To see the latest regulations for all of the North Island (excluding Taupo where fishing is administered by DOC) and South Island, please download the PDFs below.

North Island / South Island

For Whitebaiting Information & Rules
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