Reel Life November 2025 - Southland

Another wet spring is finally ending, and our rivers and streams have returned to more fishable flows. A lot of anglers have been out looking for opportunities on the fringes of these conditions, either looking for the clearer water further up the catchments, or targeting the refuge areas that trout move to during these events.

Above image: Tayne Hemi shows that once the flood flows eased, there was good fishing to be had. 6lb brown caught and safely released.

Rescheduled Fishing Competitions

They say hindsight is a perfect science. Between the very high lakes, extreme wind and subsequent damage, and Te Anau’s power going out over the weekend, it’s clear the event organising committee made the correct decision to postpone the competition.

The Stabicraft Te Anau Manapouri Fishing Classic has been rescheduled to 28^-30^th November. This is your chance to win a boat, and the odds are much better than last week’s $55m Lotto draw. Enter the competition, register a caught fish and you’re in with a chance. For more info and tickets, see here.

The Cruise Milford McGregor Pond Take-A-Kid-Fishing event has also been rescheduled to the 29^th of November. The ~400 pan-sized fish we raise are now a month older and will be released in the days before the event. This family focused event always brings a smile to the young ones. 

We recommend using small soft-baits, or bait fishing as these have your highest chance of success.

For more info and tickets, see here. 

For families unsure how to get your young ones rigged up, the instructions here are simple and effective.

Wheelchair and all-ability access at McGregor Pond

In recent weeks, our staff have been quietly putting in the groundwork ahead of this year’s competition and have installed level, wheelchair-friendly fishing points at the pond’s edge.

These will ensure that young anglers of all abilities have access and the enjoyment of safe comfortable casting positions. The team have also been carrying out pond maintenance including clearing bank side vegetation to create safe, easy and family-friendly fishing spots.

Of course, it’s not just about access and aesthetics: this work aligns perfectly with our ethos of enabling youth, families and inclusivity in the outdoors.

The stage is set for a great day by the water – young anglers will be able to cast, learn the skills of fishing, and have a great opportunity to land the stocked rainbow trout and salmon, while family can watch on knowing the environment’s been prepped for a smooth experience.

Here’s to a fun, fishy and fair-go day for all!

One of level fishing platforms at the southern end of McGregor Pond.

Mavora Lakes and Mararoa River Discolouration

The steep, readily erodible tributaries of North Mavora continue to contribute turbid water with any snow melt or rain event, and further discolouration is caused by wave action mobilising fine stream mouth sediments.

Consequently, the normally clear lake edges and parts of the Mararoa River are lightly discoloured.

A large riverside slip on the Mararoa in the Hikuraki area is likely to be the source of a recent extreme turbidity event seen in the mid and lower reaches.

Southland Access Maps

We’ve dedicated a lot of time recently to upgrading and updating our online access maps.

So, if you haven’t used them yet this season, then we encourage you to explore them here and add a shortcut to them on your phone.

(Note: This is a different web address to the previous version)

Tidal river reaches are firing

The lower tidal reaches of our rivers are currently fishing exceptionally well, thanks to large numbers of smelt running upstream. When smelt are on the move, trout respond aggressively, creating some excellent angling opportunities, particularly in the lower Oreti, Aparima, and Mataura Rivers.

If you managed to keep any smelt by-catch caught during the whitebait season, now is the ideal time to use them.

Amaia and Nikau Stephens recently caught this nice brown trout on smelt bait in the Aparima River near Gummies Bush. 

If you don’t have natural smelt, smelt-pattern soft baits are working very well, especially on the lower Oreti near West Plains. 

Fly anglers should try stalking the river margins with streamers, which can produce explosive takes from trout hunting smelt in shallow water.

Whenever possible, plan your trip around a low to incoming tide, as the incoming tide provides the river with a fresh influx of smelt and often sparks a noticeable increase in trout activity.

 

If you have any photos or fishy stories that you think other anglers might like to see or read about in next month’s Reel Life, then email them to southland@fishandgame.org.nz

All the best,

From the team at Southland Fish and Game