Reel Life September 2026 - West Coast

2026/27 Sports Fishing Season Fast Approaching!

With 1 October just around the corner, the 2026/27 sports fishing season is nearly here.

Image above: Arthur Stewart enjoying some West Coast spring fishing.

Recent rainfall has freshened up many of our rivers and streams. While high flows can temporarily reduce water clarity, once rivers begin to drop and clear, these conditions can provide excellent fishing. Increased food availability and reduced trout wariness can make the days following a fresh particularly productive.

A 2026/27 Sports Fishing Licence is required from 1 October. Licences can be purchased online or from your local licence agent. Licence sales support the management, monitoring and enhancement of our freshwater fisheries.

Plan Your Season

With opening day fast approaching, now is a great time to start planning where you'll fish this season. Whether you're new to the region or a long-time local looking to explore somewhere different, Fish & Game has a range of resources available to help.

Our West Coast Access Map makes it easy to locate public fishing access points, boat ramps and popular fishing locations throughout the region. The map can be viewed on both computer and mobile devices, and we recommend saving it to your phone so you can quickly check nearby access points while on the go.

How to add the Fishing Access Map to your smartphone as a Progressive Web App:

Apple – iPhone / iPad	Android
1. Open the map full screen in Safari.	1. Open the map full screen in Google Chrome.
2. Tap the Share button.	2. Tap the ⋮ menu in the top-right corner.
3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.	3. Tap Install app.
4. Make sure Open as Web App is turned on.	4. Tap Install to confirm.
5. Select Add.	5. The map will appear on your Home Screen or in your app list.

For anglers looking to improve their knowledge or learn something new, the Fishing Knowledge Hub brings together practical information on fishing methods, freshwater species, equipment, regulations, access and getting started in the sport. Whether you're introducing a youngster to fishing, learning a new technique or simply looking to improve your success on the water, there is information available for anglers of all experience levels.

Sometimes the best part is exploring somewhere new. Photo credit: Jacqui Tuffnell

With more information available than ever before, it has never been easier to discover a new river, lake or river mouth and make the most of the opportunities available throughout the region.

Regulation Update for 2026/27

There are no changes to sports fishing regulations for the West Coast Fish & Game region for the 2026/27 season.

The full 2026/27 West Coast Sports Fishing Regulations are available online.

Lake Kaniere Fishery Enhancement Project

If you've read the latest edition of Fish & Game magazine, you'll be aware of the work underway to enhance salmon fishing opportunities in the Lake Kaniere fishery.

That work has continued this winter, with approximately 41,000 juvenile Chinook salmon released into Lake Kaniere during June. A further 119,000 juvenile salmon were released into the lake during August, bringing the total number released into the Kaniere fishery this winter to around 160,000.

The Lake Kaniere enhancement programme is aimed at building the lake's put-and-take salmon fishery, where hydro scheme on its outlet.

Previous releases have shown good growth, with some fish reaching catchable sizes within two to three years. Reports from anglers last summer also indicated that juvenile salmon were growing well and being caught alongside the existing perch and trout fisheries.

Although there are adult salmon present in the lake, there are also plenty of smaller salmon from our more recent releases. Anglers are likely to encounter these smaller fish while fishing, so please use good catch-and-release techniques and return them carefully to the water so they can continue to grow and contribute to the future fishery.

Juvenile salmon in the fish transporter on their way to Kaniere.

Best of Luck for the Season

We hope anglers enjoy getting back on the water and making the most of the fishing opportunities across the West Coast this season.

As always, we enjoy receiving photos and hearing about your fishing experiences. Feel free to send through your catches, observations and stories from around the region.

Best of luck for the 2026/27 fishing season.

Baylee Kersten
Senior Fish & Game Officer
West Coast Fish & Game