Since December 2024, staff have conducted a total of 382 creel surveys across 6 lakes in the Upper Rakaia and Upper Waimakariri catchments.
Anglers were asked about the fish they caught, the fishing methods they used, and how long they had been fishing that day. Anglers were also asked to rate their satisfaction with the quality of the fish they caught, their angling success (catch rate), and their overall fishing experience.
Fishing Method
Trolling is the most popular fishing method for anglers at Lake Coleridge, with 52% of anglers surveyed trolling the lake. Spin fishing is also popular, and was used by 38% of anglers surveyed. The proportion of anglers using jigging increased by 10% from the 2024/25 season.
Figure 1. Preferred fishing method for anglers fishing Lake Coleridge during the 2024/25 and 2025/26 summer periods. Because some anglers reported using multiple fishing methods, percents add up to more than 100.
Catch and release percentages
Anglers provided details for 145 caught fish, 24 of which were released as undersized. Catch and release varied by species; 51% of caught salmon, 33% of rainbow trout, and 29% of brown trout were harvested. The proportion of all species that were released was substantially higher than during the 2024/25 summer period.
Figure 2. Proportion of fish caught that were kept vs released for each species on Lake Coleridge during the 2025/26 summer period.
Fish Size and Condition
Mean length of reported fish was 54 cm for brown trout, 47 cm for rainbow trout, and 41 cm for salmon. Both Salmon and Trout harvested from Lake Coleridge during the 2025/26 summer season had a lower average condition score than those harvested during the 2024/25 summer season.
A fish's condition factor is calculated using the length and weight of a salmon or trout to reflect its body condition. Typically, salmon or trout with a condition factor of 40+ are considered to have a high body condition, while fish with a condition factor of <30 are considered to be in poor condition.
Figure 3. Average length of fish harvested for each species during the 2025/26 summer period on Lake Coleridge.
Figure 4. Average weight of fish harvested for each species during the 2025/26 summer period on Lake Coleridge.
Figure 5. Average condition factor of fish harvested for each species during the 2025/26 summer period on Lake Coleridge.
Angler Satisfaction
When it came to angler satisfaction, 58% of anglers reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with the condition of fish they caught. Only 34% of anglers reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with their angling success; 10% reported they were dissatisfied and 17% reported they were very dissatisfied with their angling success. Finally, 93% of anglers reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall fishing experience.
Anglers on average rated the condition of fish they caught at 6.7, their angling success at 5.4, and their overall fishing experience at 9.0.
Figure 6. Angler satisfaction with the overall fishing experience, angling success, and condition of fish caught during the 2025/26 summer period on Lake Coleridge.
Angler satisfaction with fish condition and angling success was lower than the summer of 2024/25, but satisfaction with fishing experience was similar.
Figure 7. Mean angler satisfaction with the overall fishing experience, angling success, and condition of fish caught on Lake Coleridge during each year surveyed.
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