Reel Life September 2025 - Otago
- Otago
- 19/09/2025
Season Aligning – The Countdown is On
The wait is nearly over! The 2025-2026 fishing season opens on Wednesday, October 1, with anglers ready to spring into action on our lowland waters.
From October 1, opening waters include the Taieri, Pomahaka, Shag/Waihemo, Deans Bank section of the Clutha River/Mata-Au (fly fishing only), and many smaller rivers and tributaries. Blakelys Dam in the Maniototo is another option.
Daylight savings starts on Sunday, September 28 – just in time more fishing in the evenings once the season gets cracking.
After a reasonably settled winter and no major floods in the region (touch wood), many rivers are carrying healthy flows.
But, hey, it’s spring. Fluffy clouds and blossoms one day — gales, sleet and sideways rain the next! When spring storms roll through, rivers could run high and coloured. Always check conditions before you head out.
School holidays kick off this Saturday, September 20, and there’s plenty of options where you and the kids can fish before the 2025-2026 season opens.
Not sure which waters will be open on October 1? Click here for the Otago 2025-26 Sports Fishing Regulations.
Most high-country waters remain closed until November 1.
Image above: Queenstown resident Andre Hoarau hopes to catch more trout like this one, which he caught at the adult beginner fishing sesson in Central Otago. Photo: Mason Court.
Stocked and Ready for School Holidays
Otago Fish & Game officer Steve Dixon liberates rainbows from Macraes Hatchery into Sullivans Dam before the school holidays. Photo: Bruce Quirey
- Sullivans Dam, Tomahawk Lagoon, and Southern Reservoir have been restocked with rainbow trout.
- Southern Reservoir remains closed until October 1 for Take a Kid Fishing events.
- Coal Pit Dam at Naseby, Butchers Dam at Alexander, and Moke Lake near Queenstown are excellent year-round options.
These “put-and-take” fisheries provide easy access and great odds for beginner and family anglers. Hatchery rainbow trout are only released into selected dams and reservoirs — wild brown trout populations in Otago’s rivers sustain themselves naturally.
Watch these videos on Dunedin Trout Fishing Spots:
Weekly fix of Otago fishing news
The Otago Weekly Fishing Report will start back on Thursday, September 25, for the 2025-2026 fishing season.
- If you haven’t subscribed for free already and want to be ready for next season, you can click here.
- The weekly report will be emailed to your inbox with up-to-date fishing conditions, weather and river flow information to help improve your catch.
- You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the work Otago Fish & Game does for our licence holders.
- Plus, this year we’re starting a new section, Club Updates, connecting you and local fishing clubs.
You can catch up on previous regional reports on the Fish & Game website: Regional Fishing Reports - Tagged with Otago
Smelt flies or soft baits are great imitations for baitfish. Photo: Bruce Quirey
Chasing the Bait
Early spring sees baitfish starting to enter the river system — and the trout are ready to ambush them.
The coastal reaches of most major rivers are open all year to fishing, and this can be highly rewarding in late winter and early spring. Aim to fish two hours either side of high tide for the best action.
Trout will be cruising the edges hunting prey. Smelt flies or soft baits are great imitations of the baitfish moving in. Here’s six rivers where the fishing is open and promising right now.
- Catlins Estuary (downstream of the Southern Scenic Route bridge)
- Lower Clutha River (all year)
- Tokomairiro River (downstream of Coal Gully Rd bridge)
- Taieri River (downstream of State Highway 87 bridge at Outram)
- Shag River/Waihemo (downstream of State Highway 1 bridge)
- Waikouaiti River (downstream of State Highway 1 bridge)
Fishing Rivers After Rain
Spring storms can make rivers run high or discoloured. As we write this, heavy rain in the upper headwaters has pushed large volumes into the Clutha system, with the top of Lake Dunstan high and discoloured. To improve your odds in these situations:
- Seek clearer tributaries where fish shelter.
- In big rivers, target around rocks, logs, and undercut banks.
- Eddies and margins provide shelter and food.
- Get to the bottom - fish with heavier lures, jigs or split shot
- On estuaries, incoming tides bring clearer water.
- Stillwaters and the big lakes stay fishable after rain.
Bookmark the ORC Environmental Data Portal for real-time flows, temperature, and lake levels.
Designated Waters Reminder
The Designated Waters Licence (introduced 2023–24) is still required in addition to your whole-season licence to fish in Otago Designated Waters Fisheries.
In Otago, we have nine Designated Waters Fisheries.
Two Otago Designated Waters — Upper Pomahaka (above Hukerere Station Bridge) and Nevis River — open October 1. The other seven Otago Designated Waters open on November 1.
Events and Opportunities
Soft Bait Fishing Clinics
Free soft bait fishing clinics will be held near Dunedin and Cromwell in November.
- Wednesday, November 5, 6.30pm, Taieri Ferry Bridge Road, Henley
- Saturday, November 15, 10am, McNulty Inlet, Cromwell
Watch our Otago Fish & Game Facebook page and the Otago Weekly Fishing Report for details soon on how to register.
Koopa Morris (now 15) shows Fish & Game officer Steve Dixon his trout at last year’s Take A Kid Fishing event at Southern Reservoir. Photo: Otago Fish & Game
Take A Kid Fishing
Take A Kid Fishing sessions will be held over two weekends in late September at Southern Reservoir — these events are fully booked and will be a highlight for 500+ registered kids and their families. Thanks to our volunteers, Otago Community Trust, and OceanaGold for making this happen.
Adult beginners learned how to catch trout in Dunedin, gaining confidence and skills ahead of the new fishing season. Photo: Bruce Quirey
Adult Beginner Fishing Classes
More than 50 adults learned how to catch trout in Otago this month, gaining confidence and skills ahead of the new fishing season.
Our free adult beginner spin-fishing classes were held in Dunedin and Cromwell at the start of September.
These annual beginner classes will return next year — watch our Facebook page and website for registrations.
Otago Fish & Game chief executive Ian Hadland inspects progress on the new building construction at Mosgiel. Photo: Bruce Quirey
We’re On the Move
Otago Fish & Game Council is preparing to move to a purpose-built headquarters in Mosgiel, with the transition expected to take place in mid-October. Construction of the modern facility, in Hazlett Road, is almost complete. This will replace the organisation’s ageing central Dunedin premises and reflects a future-focused, financially responsible approach to delivering better value for fishing and hunting licence holders.
- The new base will streamline operations and provide a more practical working environment for staff and councillors.
- Our new headquarters reflects careful stewardship of licence holder funds. We’ve reinvested the proceeds from the sale of our Dunedin site to create a building that’s modern, practical, and fit for purpose — with little extra cost to our reserves.
- Designed for efficiency and accessibility, the new single-storey building brings office, workshop, and storage spaces together under one roof. It features level entry access for all visitors, ample on-site parking, and facilities tailored to the needs of a small team and field operations.
- Our central city building was too large for our six staff, expensive to maintain, and would have required significant investment to meet future building and earthquake standards.
- This new building is a better size for our needs, modern, and easier to manage.
- Environmental sustainability is also a key consideration. A rooftop solar power system will reduce emissions and operating costs, while supporting the organisation’s electric vehicle. Modern video conferencing tools will reduce the need for travel, and the Mosgiel location offers easier access to field operations in Central Otago and the south.
“The new base sets us up to deliver on our mission to anglers, hunters and habitat for years to come,” Otago Fish & Game chief executive Ian Hadland says. “We’re looking forward to the move away from the central city and closer to the angling and hunting action and the resources they depend upon.”
Don’t Forget Your Licence
Buy early to get best value for the 2025-2026 season. Get your licence online or visit a local agent.
Click the link for a list of the agents in Otago where you can buy a licence.
Event calendar
Click here for upcoming fishing events throughout New Zealand.
Want more info? Check out these links or contact our helpful Otago team.
- Otago Fish & Game office, corner of Hanover and Harrow streets, Dunedin.
- New address from late October: Hazlett Road, Mosgiel
- Tel: (03) 477 9076
Tight lines,
The team at Otago Fish & Game Council
Disclaimer:
The information presented in these news items is based on the context and regulations in place at the time of publication. Please note that some articles may include reference to laws and regulatory standards that have since changed. For the most current and accurate information please check our Fishing Licences & Regulations pages or our Hunting Licences & Regulations pages.