Reel Life April 2026 - Otago

  • Otago
  • 21/04/2026

Reel Life April 2026 - Otago

April: Embracing the Cold

Snow has settled on the hills around Central Otago, but the dropping temperatures have done little to slow the fishing. Cool, settled conditions have been producing excellent river mouth action, along with some solid mayfly hatches. With temperatures dropping well into single digits, waders are a good idea—just remember to take care when wading around river mouths.

Image above: Large brown trout such as this lovely model are often the target species come cool autumn days. Credit: Jakub Kanok

Autumn is one of the best times to fish the region, with more settled weather patterns taking hold. At this time of year, brown trout begin congregating around river mouths before moving upstream into spawning reaches, offering anglers a great seasonal opportunity. A range of Otago lowland fisheries close on April 30; however, many high-country rivers still have over a month of the season remaining, closing on May 31, and can provide excellent late-season fishing.

Otago Reel Life is a compilation of highlights from recent Otago Weekly Fishing Reports. Read below for how to sign up for your weekly fishing news.

The Otago Weekly Fishing Report is published free weekly on Thursdays during the main fishing season.

  • If you haven’t subscribed, you can click here.
  • The weekly report will be emailed to your inbox with up-to-date fishing conditions, weather and river flow information to help improve your catch.
  • You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the work Otago Fish & Game does for our licence holders.

Here’s a taste of what you may have missed in our recent weekly fishing reports:

Children enjoying testing there casting skills at the Hooked on Nature stand photo: Jamie Ward

Under the Nature Dome

On Sunday April 12, Otago Fish & Game staff, honorary rangers, volunteers and the Otago Anglers Association attended Nature Dome as part of Wild Dunedin, held at Forsyth Barr Stadium, with an interactive “Hooked on Nature” display.

Visitors had the chance to try their hand at spin and fly casting, watch fly tying demonstrations, see live trout up close, and enter a “guess the number of fish” competition (with a prize pack kindly donated by Dunedin Hunting & Fishing New Zealand). The day was a great success, with hundreds of children getting involved, testing their casting skills, and engaging with staff about Fish & Game’s habitat work, as well as picking up useful fishing and gamebird hunting tips.

The “guess the number of trout” competition attracted 405 entries, with nine correct guesses. The final count was 72 fish, and the winner was drawn at random from those correct entries.

Heather Findlay receives the rod and reel combo, kindly donated by Dunedin Hunting & Fishing, from Otago Fish & Game Environmental Officer Nigel Paragreen on behalf of her daughter, after she correctly guessed the number of trout in the display tank.

Freshes Fire up River Mouth Fishing

Trolling river bends – especially the sharper corners in larger systems – is an effective strategy. 

Recent scattered rain — ranging from light showers to heavier falls — has pushed a fresh down many Central Otago rivers, with positive results already being seen at river mouths. Tim from Cromwell Hunting & Fishing says spawning browns are beginning to congregate, and fishing in these areas is improving nicely.

Trolling has been particularly effective, with anglers picking up fish on fast-diving bibbed lures, such as Halco Poltergeist, as well as weighted fly lines rigged with booby flies. These buoyant patterns hover just off the bottom when fished on a sinking line, rising and falling with a slow retrieve to imitate an easy meal — a tactic that’s proving hard for trout to ignore.

Elsewhere, trolling river bends — especially sharper corners in larger systems — is also producing results. These areas create natural feeding lanes, with faster, deeper water on the outside of bends and slower water on the inside. Trout tend to hold along these seams and drop-offs, where food is funnelled past while they conserve energy.

In the lakes, lure colour remains important. Mark from Southern Wild reports darker lures are working best on Lake Wānaka, while brighter patterns continue to perform well on Lake Hāwea.

Stillwater Success

Hadlee Edmunds with an excellent brown trout caught fishing one of Māniatoto’s many still waters. 

Stillwaters in the Māniatoto have been producing excellent reports, including from Hadlee at Hunting & Fishing Dunedin. Last Friday, Hadlee spent time at one of the many stillwaters in the area, landing a number of both brown and rainbow trout.

Success came casting a natural-coloured soft-bait along the edges of the dam and retrieving it slowly. As the afternoon progressed into evening, fish activity increased, with consistent surface rises beginning to appear.

With rain forecast this weekend, stillwaters offer a reliable option that is generally less affected by changing river conditions.

For more information on waters in the Māniatoto, click here.

Adapting to the Current Climate

Mark Haig from Kaitangita shows off his solution to getting round the lower Clutha with the cost of fuel Photo:Jayde Couper

With the ever-rising cost of fuel putting pressure on household budgets, hobbies are often the first to be scaled back. However, fishing remains an accessible option, with many quality spots located within a short drive, or even a walk or bike ride, of town centres. Consider keeping a trout for the table, for a nice healthy meal. There are plenty of recipes on the Fish & Game website that can be explored here.

More and more anglers are taking the smart approach by staying local, making the most of nearby rivers, lakes, and urban waterways rather than travelling long distances. Some crafty anglers have even customised bikes and lightweight gear setups to reach productive water without the need for a vehicle. If you are looking for nearby options, the Fish & Game access map is a great tool to help find local spots and plan your next trip.

Explore the Fish & Game Access map here

Women’s Fly-fishing Workshop

Participants at the introduction to fly-fishing workshop staged by Women on the Fly and Otago Anglers Association last weekend. Photo: Bruce Quirey

Otago Fish & Game was proud to support a fantastic women’s introduction to fly-fishing workshop in Dunedin Early April, staged by Women on The Fly NZ and Otago Anglers Association (official club page).

We were delighted to see such strong interest in creating more inclusive pathways into fishing. Initiatives like this are a great step toward encouraging more women to give it a go and build confidence on the water.

Women On The Fly NZ coordinator Leigh Johnson summed it up perfectly: “This is just the start of something. It’s about making fishing accessible for Dunedin women with the support of the club. Women On The Fly is the catalyst — and a big shout out to president Mark Barrett and the Otago Anglers Association for their commitment to mentoring these ladies through the next stage of their fly fishing journey. Watch this space.”

Otago Anglers Association president Mark Barrett also highlighted the momentum building from the day: “Thanks to all the volunteers and participants — it was a great time. This is just the groundwork, and we’re here to help them continue if they’d like. We’d love to see this grow, including potentially a women-led group within the club. There’s already strong interest in another course, and we’re likely to run something similar again in September.”

If you missed out this time, please register for the wait list and they will do another session later. Register here: https://wotfnz.short.gy/Dunedin-Intro

Search for Salmon

Aidan Hight with a lower Clutha 3.9lb salmon.

If you happen to catch a salmon this season, please contact us. We would be happy to collect the fish head from you, as we are interested in a small bone known as the otolith, which retains information on the water chemistry across the salmon’s life. Using this data we can track the salmon’s age, where it was born and where it spent different stages of its life. This information helps us protect those places.

We are most interested in salmon from the lower Clutha River/Mata-Au or Pomahaka River. However, but if you’ve caught a salmon in the upper river or lakes (except Hawea & Wakatipu, we have loads of those!) we are keen to organise a time to collect them off you. Just keep the head in the freezer with details on the fish length, and when and where you caught it. Email [email protected].

Upper Clutha Angling Club- Guest Speaker Mike Weddell

The Upper Clutha Angling Club Invites ALL interested ANGLERS to their next meeting on Tuesday 5th May at The Hub, McDougall Street Wanaka at 7pm

Mike Weddell: Angling author, fly tier and exceptional fly caster - World Champion, 5 x British Champion ‘ a no nonsense approach to increasing your catch”

 ALL WELCOME – non-members a gold coin donation

Key dates

April 30: Final day of the Otago low country fishery season.

May 2: Opening day of the 2026 game bird season.

May 31: Final day of the Otago high country fishery season.

Check this season’s regulations for open seasons, permitted methods and daily bag limits for each individual water. Note several waters in Otago are open all year to fishing: Otago 2025-26 Sports Fishing Regulations.

Don’t Forget Your Licence

Get your licence online or visit a local agent.

Click the link for a list of the agents in Otago where you can buy a licence. 

Want more info? Check out these links or contact our helpful Otago team.  

 

Tight lines,  

The team at Otago Fish & Game 

Disclaimer:

The information presented in these news items is based on the context and regulations in place at the time of publication. Please note that some articles may include reference to laws and regulatory standards that have since changed. For the most current and accurate information please check our Fishing Licences & Regulations pages or our Hunting Licences & Regulations pages.

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