Reel Life November 2025 - North Canterbury

High Country Season Opens Strong at Lake Coleridge

The high-country fishing season roared into life over the first weekend of November, with anglers from across Canterbury making the early run into the hills for the 17th annual Lake Coleridge Fishing Competition. Held on Saturday, 1 November 2025, the event marked the official start of the season, and oh boy, what a start it was.

Image above: The Lloyd sisters, Charlotte (left), Lucy (middle) and Hannah (right) from Rangiora with a rainbow trout from Lake Coleridge.

Anglers were greeted with what many described as the best opening-day conditions in more than a decade. Calm water, warm temperatures, and clear skies set the stage for a fantastic morning on the lake. More than 100 boats launched at first light, while shore anglers spread out along the edges, and others took the opportunity to fish neighbouring lakes like Selfe and Georgina.

With close to $8,000 in prizes on offer, thanks to the support of Hunting & Fishing Christchurch, North Canterbury, and Ashburton, the weigh-in drew plenty of excitement. By the end of the day, 91 anglers had weighed a total of 118 fish, the
strongest tally since 2019. The catch breakdown showed:

• 47% chinook salmon
• 31% rainbow trout
• 22% brown trout

Fish & Game Officer Emily Craig said the enthusiasm and turnout set a great tone for the season:
“It was fantastic to see over 200 anglers at the prizegiving, with strong results across both junior and adult categories. The backing from our local Hunting & Fishing stores really helped make the day special.”

Other high-country waters such as Lakes Grassmere and Marymere also saw steady angling pressure, with many visitors combining the event with a weekend of exploring. Fish & Game Officer Jackson Meecham said:
“It was great to watch anglers soaking in those backcountry landscapes and landing good fish. We had 100 percent compliance on the day—awesome work, everyone.”

Since opening weekend, several anglers have reported that Lake Coleridge has continued to fish exceptionally well, especially during the early mornings when conditions have remained settled.

Thanks to everyone who joined us to kick off the new season.

Boat Ranging On North Canterbury Lakes

Field Officer Harry Graham-Samson, with honorary rangers Chris Aldous and Neil Goldie, return to Ryton Bay after a day ranging on the boat.

Don't be surprised if our ranging team pulls up alongside when out boating this season.

This season, one of our compliance goals is to spend time on our bigger high-country lakes where you are allowed to fish from a motorised craft.

This is so we can not only check licences on the water but also do creel surveys of what methods anglers are using and what they are catching on the lakes.

This gives us important information about the fishery, especially what condition the fish are in when caught during the summer months.

Over the Canterbury Anniversary long weekend, boat-based rangers visited Lake Coleridge.

Our process when approaching a boat-based angler is we watch to see what the other vessel is doing, e.g., are they trolling or stationary.

From this point, we will approach them slowly and put fenders over the side of the boat to protect each other, and then once we are close enough, we will introduce ourselves and then come up beside the vessel and check their licence and catch.

If the vessel is trolling, then we are happy for them to keep fishing, and we will just keep boating beside them at trolling speed.

We will carry a long-handled net, in which you can place your licence. From this point, we will quickly write down their details and hand over the licence using the net, and then we will carry on to the next boat.

It's important to note that Fish & Game doesn't set the rules for the use of boats, etc, on the lakes; that is set by either the Regional or District Councils.

You can check out the link below for the local boating regulations in the Canterbury area.

https://www.ecan.govt.nz/do-it-online/harbourmasters-office/recreational-boating/

Tightening the Reins: New Limits for the 2025/26 Sea-Run Salmon Season

Bryce Marshall holds a sea-run salmon caught on the Rakaia River in 2022 while Simon
McMillan snaps a picture.

With the 2025/26 sea-run salmon season fast approaching, North Canterbury and Central South Island Fish & Game have announced several important regulatory changes designed to protect vulnerable sea-run salmon stocks. It’s essential that all
sea-run salmon anglers in both regions understand these updates before heading out.

What’s Changing This Season

• New Season Bag Limit: In a major shift, anglers are now limited to one sea-run salmon for the entire season.
• Why the Change: The reduction follows several years of poor sea-run salmon returns. Spawning numbers for key indicator rivers have fallen into the “severe” management band, prompting stricter conservation measures.
• Catch-and-Release: Anglers may still catch and release sea-run salmon; however, once you harvest your one allowed fish, you must stop fishing for searun salmon for the remainder of the season.

Licence Requirements and Your Responsibilities

• To fish for or keep sea-run salmon in North Canterbury or Central South Island, you must hold a Sea-Run Salmon Licence in addition to your standard whole season licence.
• Any harvested sea-run salmon must be recorded immediately on your Season Bag Limit Card, which must be returned to either Fish & Game region.
• You are required to carry your card at all times while salmon fishing and present it to a Warranted Fish & Game Ranger upon request.
• Anglers must return their completed card at season’s end, even if they didn’t harvest a sea-run salmon.
• These cards play a crucial role in shaping future management decisions—your information directly supports the long-term sustainability of the fishery.

Fish & Game Field Officer Harry Graham-Samson scans a section of the Lewis Pass Designated Waters Fishery for any anglers while completing compliance in the area.

North Canterbury Fish & Game Council Meeting and Annual Public Meeting – Wednesday, 26th November 2025

The November bi-monthly Council Meeting will be held next week on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, starting at 3:30 pm at 595 Johns Road.

Following this, the North Canterbury Fish & Game Council will host its Annual Public Meeting at the same venue, beginning at 6:30 pm.

The council meeting agenda will be available to the public early next week and can be found here: https://www.fishandgame.org.nz/.../meeti.../meeting-agendas/

Members of the public are welcome to attend and observe the Council Meeting, and are also invited to attend the Annual Public Meeting, where we will review and reflect on our region’s achievements over the past financial year.

If you wish to address the Council during the public session of the Council Meeting, please email your request to both:
- astrong@fishandgame.org.nz
- northcanterbury@fishandgame.org.nz