Lower North Lowdown Weekly Fishing Report - 30 September 2026

Perfect Conditions For Season Start!

It's something we seldom get to say about the start of the fishing season but conditions are near perfect for Opening Day tomorrow and look set to last right through to next week.

Settled weather with sunny skies will extend over the entire Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game regions, and rivers are falling back to normal spring flows after last Sunday's southerly storm front.      

Pictured above: Mohinder Bhaggal with a beauty brown from a Wellington region small stream  

This sets the scene for a perfect start to the new season so grab your Whole Season Licence and get into it! 

Grab Your Licence And Get Into The Action 

We're on the eve of Opening Day so get your licence for the season online - it only takes a few minutes.   

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.

Follow Us On Facebook This Season

Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game are on Facebook!

To keep up to date with all the news and events from the two regions, be sure to check out our page and follow us.  

Here's the outlook for Opening Day and the weekend ahead... 

Hutt River

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Hutt Valley.

The Hutt River has fallen back to 16 cumecs after a reasonable flood pushed through on Sunday and is now looking great. It'll be fishing superbly for spin anglers and those swinging wet flies on Opening, then will favour more traditional nymphing as the flow backs off  further. The Pakarutahi, Whakatikei and Akatarawa are open from tomorrow and will be well worth an explore as they'll be holding plenty of fish after the spawning season. 

The Hutt River at Te Marua this morning (Photo: Al Markham)

Kapiti Coast

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Kapiti Coast. 

After a pulse of rain in the weekend, the Otaki, Waikanae and Ohau rivers have all returned to clear steady flows. An angler checked by rangers on the Otaki in the vicinity of the SH1 bridge yesterday was having a ball with 14 fish spotted and seven landed, including two sea-run browns! With river conditions looking good, and whitebait now running and trout feeding hard, prospects for the start of the season below Chrystall’s Lagoon look great. Opportunities in the upper tributaries will be promising too for early season adventurers. 

The Otaki River at SH1 this morning (Photo: Phil Teal)

Wairarapa

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Wairarapa region.

The Ruamahanga River is still carrying lots of colour after Sunday's storm front; the higher up anglers go in the river system the more likely they are to find fishable water for Opening Day tomorrow. With a settled weather forecast for the next few days the river should have cleared nicely by the time the weekend rolls around though. Elsewhere in the region, the Waiohine, Waingawa and Tauherenikau all look stunning. They're carrying extra flow from the recent rain but are crystal clear and fishable throughout. Anglers heading into the headwaters should have some epic angling with a great weather forecast right through into next week.              

Check out the latest conditions for the lower Ruamahanga by calling this free-phone number - 083229069.

The Waiohine River at SH2 this morning (Photo: Hamish Carnachan)

Manawatu

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Manawatu region.

The Manawatu is high and discoloured in the city reaches but looks to clear up around Weber Road, so Palmy anglers may have to travel to find some fishable water if heading out on Opening Day. The Pohangina and Oroua rivers are high and dirty but they are clearing quickly; with a fine weather forecast there's every chance they will be fishing by tomorrow, certainly come Saturday. The Mangatainoka is also falling back rapidly and with another day to clear it should be fishable for Opening. 

The Pohangina River at Piripiri Bridge this morning (Photo: Josh Murray)

Rangitikei

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Rangitikei region.

The Rangitikei River is still carrying lots of sediment at Mangaweka according to Paul from Awastone. This is likely coming in from the Kawhatau and Whakaurekou rivers, as well as the Hautapu. Now the good news. Upstream, the webcam at Pukeokahu shows a crystal clear river. Those anglers prepared to push higher up into the Rangitikei catchment can expect some awesome angling on Opening Day and into the weekend!     

The Rangitikei River at Pukeokahu this morning (Photo: Horizons)

Taranaki Ringplain

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Taranaki Ringplain region.

River flows have fallen after a minor fresh on Sunday and with fine weather forecast for the next few days it’s looking good for the Opening of the new trout season right through the weekend. There will be some wind, with westerlies on Thursday and Friday, but lighter winds over the weekend. All waters are clear and fishable, including the Waingongoro in south Taranaki, which usually carries a much higher baseflow in spring. The Waingongoro supports a productive fishery for both brown and rainbow trout in the river between Eltham and Ohawe Beach and it will be well worth a visit. Lake Ratapiko is a good place to take the kids fishing during the school holidays, with a large population of perch as well as brown and rainbow trout on offer. 

Check out the up-to-date data on rainfall and river flows. 

The Patea River at Swansea Road, Stratford, yesterday afternoon (Photo: Allen Stancliff)

Waimarino

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Waimarino region.

In the Waimarino area, a minor fresh on Sunday/Monday passed through and river flows have fallen away during the week to provide excellent fishing conditions on Opening Day tomorrow and through the weekend. While there is no flow recorder on the Manganuioteao River, flows in the Mangawhero and Makotuku indicate that the Manganuioteao will be in great condition for fishing. The Mangawhero River along the Ohakune River walkway and out through Burns Street will also be worth a visit.

To keep an eye on regional flows, you can check these out here.

The Mangawhero River at SH4 this morning (Photo: Horizons)

School Up Before You Head Out

Our new online fishing knowledge hub provides 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 and plenty more.

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!  

Take Your Kid Fishing - This Sunday

Video Of The Week - Backcountry Adventuring

With such a great forecast for Opening and the following four days, many anglers will be heading for the hills to get into some prime water that hasn't be touched since the end of April. 

If you're going backcountry for the start of the season, this video will have you frothing!

Click the screenshot above to watch the boys from Manawatu Fly Fishing get stuck into some epic rainbows in the Ruahine Range.    

Win A $300 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

Stephen Phillips caught this beautifully marked Manawatu brownie just before the season starts.

Our photo competition is back again for 2026-27 with an even bigger prize pack on offer.  

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!

Up for grabs:

1st Prize - 30 flies, plus a branded 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.

The same Terms & Conditions of entry apply as above. 

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.)

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

• Greater Wellington Regional Council's latest schedule of river works can be found here.
• Horizons Regional Council's latest schedule of river works can be found here (scroll down to 'Planned Works').   
• 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. 
• Lake Mangamahoe: New Plymouth District Council is currently installing new water supply intakes at Lake Mangamahoe and traffic management arrangements have the western access road closed on weekdays until October 12. However, anglers and the general public can still use the first carpark on the right past the toilet block and walking access from there is unrestricted.
• Lake Namumanu: Same as last season - access is currently closed for the logging of the surrounding Ngaruru Forest by Ernslaw One Ltd.

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.