Otago Weekly Fishing Report - 17 April 2025

Unwind over the holidays

Easter, ANZAC and school holidays are the ideal time to get out fishing with family and friends over the next 10 days.

As mentioned in recent weekly reports, this time of year pre-spawning trout and salmon are congregating at river mouths. Similarly, sea-run trout at the peak of condition are pushing into river systems.

Expected increased flows in our tributaries will trigger fish to continue their passage upriver.

Don’t forget your Designated Water licence if planning a long trip into the backcountry as rangers will be about.

Winter licences are now available, as well as day and short break licence options. For more information on licences types click here.

Jay and Shelley Carter caught this brown trout while trolling a Tassie Devil lure with a leadline at Stevenson Arm in Lake Wānaka during the summer school holidays. Credit: Bruce Quirey.

The Queenstown District Lakes region is a favourite school holiday destination — and a prime autumn fishing spot. Cooler water temperatures and reduced boat traffic make this a great time to target trout and salmon. Three standout locations are The Neck on Lake Hāwea, Stevenson Arm on Lake Wānaka, and the Glenorchy Delta on Lake Wakatipu.

The Neck, where only a narrow isthmus separates Lakes Hāwea and Wānaka, offers excellent fishing from shore and boat. Steep drop-offs and rocky structure bring fish close to the edge, especially early and late in the day. Silver Tobys, pink lures, and softbaits are productive from the rocks, while boat anglers often do well trolling Tassie Devils or Tobys on leadline (3–5 colours) or with downriggers. Mark, from Southern Wild Wānaka, recommends swapping treble hooks for streamer flies on Tassies for extra attraction. Fly anglers can also have success near creek mouths using streamers or boobie flies on calm days.

Stevenson Arm, at the northern end of Lake Wānaka, is a quiet and productive autumn fishery. Rainbows are most common, with the odd brown or Chinook salmon in the mix. Mark’s favourite method is trolling traffic light or pink Tassies at 10–20 metres. Softbaiting along drop-offs and stream mouths also produces results.

The Glenorchy Delta, where the Dart and Rees Rivers flow into Lake Wakatipu, is a top autumn option. Brown trout, rainbows, and salmon chase baitfish or begin their spawning migrations. Shore anglers can sight-fish with spinners or softbaits, while boaters often drift or troll deep-diving lures near the delta edges. Jigging the drop-offs is also popular.

With stunning alpine scenery and active fish, autumn is an ideal time to explore these lakes.

Holiday hotspots – Home waters

If staying at home these holidays, here are some Dunedin fishing spots for all skill levels and ages, including three put-and-take fisheries:

Southern Reservoir: Easily accessible reservoir only 10 minutes from the city centre to Mt Grand. Watch this video: Southern Reservoir

Sullivans Dam: Bush-clad reservoir on the north edge of town. Watch this video: Sullivans Dam

Tomahawk Lagoon: Shallow upper lagoon holds hatchery rainbows, wild brown trout and perch. Watch this video: Tomahawk Lagoon

And don’t forget sea-run trout will be moving into coastal reaches handy to Dunedin. Check out these options:

• Half a day to fish from Dunedin: To the south - Fish & Game
• Half a day to fish from Dunedin: To the north - Fish & Game

Make the most of the murk

The upper Taieri River at Hyde was running dirty on Wednesday. Credit: Mason Court.

The upper Taieri River is running dirty below the Kyeburn confluence but fishing in discoloured water can still be surprisingly productive. Fresh flows often make trout feel more secure and aggressive, leading to good action — especially in deeper pools or along cut banks.

With reduced visibility, softbaits in bold colours like chartreuse are particularly effective at cutting through the murk and triggering reaction strikes. Otago Fish & Game chief executive Ian Hadland is a fan of chartreuse softbaits for this exact reason — they’ve proven themselves on the Taieri, Clutha and lowland river many times in difficult conditions.

Casting upstream and retrieving slowly through likely holding water can tempt both browns and rainbows, as fish focus more on movement and silhouette than subtle detail in these turbid flows.

Bye bye Ben

Otago Fish & Game farewells staff member Ben Sowry, who is moving to the North Island to join Eastern Fish & Game.

This week we helped Ben plant manuka, kowhai and cabbage trees/ti kouka at Bendigo Wildlife Management Reserve at the top of Lake Dunstan.

For the past three years Ben has energetically led a habitat restoration project at Bendigo.

In this time he has eliminated many of the willows choking the river delta and with community support planted 4000 native plants of the species which originally proliferated this area centuries ago.

The work is improving habitat for game bird populations, a core purpose of this wildlife management reserve.

During four years with Otago Fish & Game, Ben has always been free, open and willing to share his extensive knowledge of game birds and freshwater sports fish – how to get them and what to do with them as wild kai.

This includes social media, recipes, fishing and hunting videos, newsletters, soft bait fishing clinics, and Take A Kid Fishing events.

All the best, Ben!

Stream health workshop: get your feet wet

A juvenile brown trout from the last workshop held at the Bullock Creek.

Join WAI Wānaka for a stream health workshop at Bullock Creek. You'll learn about, measure and record a selection of indicators that reflect water quality. Otago Fish & Game staff will be there assisting with a fish survey and electric fishing demonstration.

• Date: Thursday April 24
• Location: Bullock Creek (opposite Speights Ale House)
• Time: 4-5pm

Clyde Dam live webcam

A screengrab of the Clyde Dam webcam taken at the time of writing.

Want to know conditions at Clyde Dam? Check this live webcam sponsored by Contact Energy updated every 15 minutes.

Lake Wānaka live webcam

A screengrab of the Lake Wānaka webcam taken at the time of writing.

Want to know conditions at Lake Wānaka? Check this live webcam from the Wānaka water sports facility.

Here’s the weekend outlook:

Dunedin

The start of Easter is shaping up nicely for fishing, with light winds and overcast skies forecast from Good Friday through to Sunday. These conditions are ideal for heading to local rivers, where brown trout will be starting to move upstream ahead of spawning.

Rain and south-westerlies are expected on Easter Monday, which may discolour rivers and increase flows. Don’t forget about the local lakes or reservoirs either — they can offer a great alternative and more stable conditions if the rivers rise.

The Taieri River at Outram was flowing at 12.4 cumecs this morning. The water temperature was 10.4 degrees C.

Click here for live weather updates.

Wānaka

It’s a mixed bag for Wānaka this Easter weekend, with scattered showers expected across most days. On the bright side, light winds are forecast, making for good boating conditions.

Saturday looks like the best day, with showers clearing early and a more settled outlook. Like much of the region, the best weather falls at the start of the long weekend, with conditions expected to deteriorate from Sunday evening into Monday.

Pack a raincoat and keep an eye on rising rivers via the ORC data portal. There are still plenty of fishing opportunities—especially if you're heading out on the lake.

Click here for live weather updates.

Alexandra

Alexandra is in for a fairly settled start to Easter, with light winds and patchy cloud cover forecast from Good Friday to Sunday — ideal for anglers looking to make the most of local rivers and reservoirs.

Saturday shapes up as the best day, with mild temperatures and the chance of sunny spells. Like much of Central Otago, the weather is expected to take a turn from Sunday evening, with rain and cooler south-westerlies arriving by Easter Monday.

Keep an eye on river levels via the ORC data portal, especially if heading to the Manuherikia or Fraser Rivers. If the rivers colour up, nearby reservoirs can provide a solid backup plan, with calm conditions likely to continue despite the rain.

Click here for live weather updates.

Clutha Regional Forecast

Anglers heading to the Lower Clutha this Easter can expect a bit of everything weather-wise. The best fishing conditions are likely from Good Friday to Saturday, with light winds and overcast skies offering great cover.

Sunday brings increasing cloud and the chance of scattered showers by late afternoon. Easter Monday looks wetter, with rain and strengthening south-westerlies expected to raise flows and discolour the river. Make the most of the early weekend window, and if river conditions turn, consider nearby backwaters, or sheltered tributaries.

The Pomahaka River was flowing at 17 cumecs, dropping from a peak of 66 on Wednesday.

The lower Clutha River at Balclutha was flowing at 436 cumecs.

Click here for live weather updates.

For more ORC water monitoring and alerts information click here.

Grab your licence online and let the angling adventures begin.

Got any Otago fishing news?

Send your fishing news and photos (with anglers’ names) to [email protected] for consideration in the weekly report.