Lower North Lowdown Weekly Fishing Report - 24 September 2026

New Season Just Days Away!

Welcome to the first Wellington-Taranaki fishing report for the 2026-27 season. 

We're only a few days away from the start of the new season and no doubt many anglers will be getting very excited for Opening Day and the months of fishing to follow. 

Pictured above: A beautifully marked Taranaki region rainbow caught late last season (Copyright: Hamish Carnachan) 

So, here's how the season is shaping up...

• Wellington Fish & Game Region

The winter and early spring have delivered regular snowfall to the Tararua and Ruahine ranges, helping store water in the mountains and contributing to river flows as temperatures rise over the warmer months.

Last season also benefited from the absence of major winter floods in many lower North Island catchments. That provided good conditions for spawning and allowed trout to recover and regain condition quickly.

Early spring is an exciting time to be on the water. Trout are hungry after winter and are actively feeding to rebuild condition, while spring insect activity is beginning to increase.

With a strong season behind us, healthy fish and encouraging flows heading into summer, October 1 can't come soon enough.

Wairarapa fly-tying guru Stuart Bagley - Want 2 Catch More Trout - with a chunky Wellington region brownie.

• Taranaki Fish & Game Region

There have been no large floods this year, just a series of minor to moderate freshes. This means that early season flows are lower than usual and rivers and streams will provide great conditions for fishing right from day one.

For Whanganui anglers, the area around the southern and western slopes of Mount Ruapehu provides some of the best angling opportunity, including the Manganuioteao River which supports a nationally significant fishery for brown and rainbow trout.

Local lakes such as Lake Wiritoa and Kohata will also provide good fishing for perch.

Full Fishing Report Next Wednesday

With Opening Day falling on Thursday next week, we'll bring you our full fishing report on Wednesday - covering the latest weather forecasts and live river flows to help you plan your first angling adventure for the 2026-27 season. 

From then onwards, throughout the season, every Thursday we'll email you the latest angling news and events from the two regions. 

We encourage and welcome feedback and pics of your fishing adventures over the months ahead. And we've got some epic prizes up for grabs - check out the details below.          

The team at Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game hope you have a fantastic season. Following are some snippets of info and online resources we've put together to help make your Opening and upcoming season be a success...  

Grab Your Licence And Get Into The Action 

The countdown to Opening Day is on, with only seven days 'til the season starts on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Please don't leave it to the last minute to get your licence, jump online now and get sorted - click the image above to get started. 

If you've already bought your licence, we'd like to sincerely thank you. Not only is it your passport to adventure this season, you're making a direct contribution to the freshwater angling resource and investing in the future of the pursuit you love. 

Here's where the funds from your licence are directed:

 

School Up Before You Head Out

We've just launched a new online fishing knowledge hub, providing free resources to help anglers at all experience levels have greater success.

The comprehensive collection of downloadable guides and how-to resources covers everything from equipment selection, the different techniques, how to guides, places to target, fish behaviour and heaps more... 

The knowledge hub has been developed to support both new and experienced freshwater anglers, drawing on expert advice from Fish & Game staff across the regions. 

Success in the field comes with knowledge. The more comfortable and confident you are with your gear, your environment and your technique, the more rewarding your experience will be.

The resources can be downloaded and taken to the river or lake, or read whenever you like on your phone, wherever you are.

Click the screenshot above and dive into it!  

Win A $300 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

After receiving some stunning entries last season, we're running our photo competition again for 2026-27 with an even bigger prize package.  

Send in your favourite fishing photos from this season and you could be in to win a $300 voucher to spend in store at Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing.

We won't blow your secret spot, just include the name of the angler(s), photographer's details and general location in the Wellington-Taranaki Fish & Game region.

• Click here to submit your entry.

You can send us as many fishing photos as you like. By submitting images to enter the competition you acknowledge that Wellington Fish & Game and Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing can publish and use the photos for publicity material.

Entries must be in by 5pm Sunday, March 28, 2027. The winner will be announced in the final Lower North Lowdown report for the season on Thursday, April 1, 2027.

More Epic Prizes To Be Won!

Want 2 Catch More Trout has put up three awesome prizes to add into the mix for this year's photo competition!

Fly tier Stuart Bagley has learnt his craft over the last three decades, creating patterns that resemble various aquatic insects inhabiting the riverbed.

His goal is to enrich your fly-fishing experience and provide a fly that adds as much value and joy to your life as it has to his.

All flies are all handmade from high quality materials and hooks. They come in a variety of bead colours and hook sizes. 

Up for grabs this season:

 

1st Prize - 30 flies, plus a brand T-shirt.
2nd Prize - 12 flies, plus a branded T-shirt.
3rd Prize - 12 flies. 

The collection of flies can be tailored to what each successful individual would like from the current range. Click the logo above to see the full range.

• Click here to submit your entry.

You can send us as many fishing photos as you like. By submitting images to enter the competition you acknowledge that Wellington Fish & Game and Want 2 Catch More Trout can publish and use the photos for publicity material.

Entries must be in by 5pm Sunday, March 28, 2027. The winner will be announced in the final Lower North Lowdown report for the season on Thursday, April 1, 2027.

  

Pre-Season Checklist

Here's a checklist we've made to help you get set for Opening and make sure your first outing of 2026-27 is a success:

• Grab your Whole Season Licence for 2026-27.
• Check your regulations guide for any changes this season details for Wellington region below. 
• Sort your Rangitikei Designated Waters Licence if planning a backcountry excursion.
• Clean fly line and check for cracks (replace if required).
• Check spinning monofilament or braid for wear/strength.
• Replace lost flies and lures from last season.
• Sharpen hooks.
• Test waders for leaks.
• Practice you casting - get out on the lawn and throw some loops.
• Plan you Opening Day outing (check out our interactive access maps below). 

Plan Your Opening Day Adventure  

There's no better resource to help you plan your Opening Day fishing mission than our new online access maps.

The resource is fully interactive, allowing you to 'fly' around the Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game regions, find fishing access points, zoom in for more detail and even download or print off access brochures for storing on your mobile device.    

We encourage anglers to explore further afield this season and hope this resource is helpful for your upcoming adventures. 

Click the map above to start planning your next angling outing!

(If you notice any access points that need updating or have changed, please get in touch.)

Regulation Changes for 2026-2027

Taranaki Fish & Game Region: NO changes for the new season. 

Wellington Fish & Game Region: 

There have been some minor changes for the new season - 

1. All waters in the Wellington Fish & Game region will be opened to all legal fishing methods (fly, spin and bait fishing), except for Designated Fishing Waters (which will remain status quo - fly and spin fishing only).
2. There be a universal two-fish daily bag limit for sports fish (excluding perch and tench) for all waterways in the Wellington Fish & Game region.
3. Size limits remain in place for the Rangitikei Designated Fishing Water; there are no size restrictions for all other waterways in the Wellington Fish & Game region.

For the full regulations, click here.  

School Holiday Boredom Buster

Fishing is the ultimate school holiday boredom buster (Photo: Hamish Carnachan)

Get the kids off their devices and out into nature, learning new skills and enjoying being outdoors these coming school holidays.

There are heaps of kid-friendly fishing spots in both the Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game regions, with many of these either walkable or bikeable in the main urban centers - get in touch and we'll happily point you in the right direction. 

The great thing is kids under 12 can fish for free but still need a licence. Those aged 12 to 17 can grab a Whole Season Licence for just $31 or $6 per day for shorter stints.   

We've got plenty of handy information like what gear is needed (it doesn't cost much to get them started) and techniques and tips to set them up for success. Check out our new Fishing Knowledge Hub to help them plan an outing.    

All The Latest Angling News, Tips and Information

The latest issue of Fish & Game NZ magazine is out now. 

If you purchased a licence last year, you should have received a copy in the mail.

Those who didn't fish last year can still catch up on all the action and get primed for the awesome season ahead by reading the magazine online - just click on the cover above.    

 

Noticeboard

• Moawhango Flushing Flows - Proposed dates are as follows:

12/13 December 2026
26/27 January 2027
16/17 February 2027
16/17 March 2027
27/28 April 2027 (potential)

• Kapiti Kids Fish Out Weekend will be held Saturday October 31 and Sunday November 1, 2026. For more information, click here.     

If you have any angling-related information you'd like posted to this noticeboard, including upcoming angling club meetings and outings, please get in touch with us.  

*This report was accurate at time of writing. For your safety, please ensure you check the latest weather and river flow information before you head out on the water.