Reel Life April 2025 - North Canterbury

Make the most of the final weeks of the season

With Easter and ANZAC weekends lining up alongside the school holidays this year, now’s the perfect time to squeeze in one last fishing trip before the regular season wraps up on April 30th. Most rivers and lakes will close then, reopening again on October 1st—but don’t hang up your rod just yet!

There are still some fantastic winter fishing opportunities across North Canterbury. Our scenic high-country lakes remain open year-round. Be sure to check your regulation booklet or give the North Canterbury Fish & Game Office a call to confirm what's open and where to go.

Sea-Run Salmon surveying underway

Every year, Fish & Game carries out important work estimating the sea-run salmon populations across our main rivers. This year’s 2024/2025 surveys are already underway.

We base our population estimates on:

• Aerial counts of spawning numbers, and
• The Sea-Run Salmon Season Bag Card returns from anglers like you.

Your data matters! Please return your card whether it is filled out or not by May 7th to ensure your fishing efforts contribute to our monitoring and conservation efforts.

Lake Coleridge Creel survey results

We’ve just wrapped up our summer creel survey at Lake Coleridge. Curious about how the lake performed and what anglers were catching?

Click here to read the full report

Lake Roto Kohatu now open for fishing!

Exciting news for local anglers—Lake Roto Kohatu is officially open for fishing through to October 31st! It’s a fantastic spot close to Christchurch for an easy after-work or weekend session.

Heads up: If you're planning to fish in October, you’ll need to purchase a 2025/26 season licence.

Note: There’s a new entrance to the lakes via Lakes Way, just off Greywacke Road.