Central South Island Weekly Fishing Report - 25 December 2025

Central South Island
25/12/2025

Merry Christmas from the team at Central South Island Fish & Game. We hope you’re having a fantastic day full of family and fishing!

Harry’s Hooked! – Fly Rod Set Giveaway Winner

We’re stoked to share that Harry Jones (14yo) from Timaru, has won the fly rod set giveaway with his entry below.

Pictured: Harry Jones (14yo) with a Lake Alexandrina 7lbs rainbow trout caught and released on a fly that he tied himself.

Harry’s story perfectly captures what the prize was all about — learning new skills, time on the water, perseverance, and those special moments that make fishing so rewarding. Well done Harry, and we hope this new setup helps fuel many more adventures on the fly.

“Dad and I headed up to Lake Alexandrina to try our luck with some fish while staying at the SC Anglers Club bach. At lunchtime I had tied some of my very own flies to try and catch a fish on up there, so after we had unpacked and sorted ourselves out, I headed down to the jetty at 9pm with my fly rod and a fly I tied, to try my luck and I was able to catch a nice rainbow and land it! My first fish on a fly I tied all by myself - that was something I was very happy about. The rainbow trout weighed 7lbs and I released it back into the lake for someone else to catch.

Dad and I were so happy with the evening efforts that we set the alarm for 5am the next morning to head out on the lake with the boat. We headed out and didn't have much luck, there was a lot of weed around and had no luck in catching anything apart from weed.

We headed back in and had brekkie before forming a plan to head to Twizel to try some rivers or lakes. First stop, Loch Cameron we didn't see any salmon from the kids fishing day release but did see some brown trout lurking around the edge. I tossed my woolly bugger at one and it followed it in. I paused the retrieve and that was enough for it to trigger a strike and eat, I struck and had it on...but sadly it snapped my line and stole my woolly bugger.

Nex we went to the Twizel River and saw some fish, I threw a blue humpy dry fly and had a fish take it but mistimed my strike and missed him, then I swapped up to a nymph rig and one took the hare and copper but yet again missed my strike. I then swapped to a spinning rod where I was using a Black and Gold Toby and had a fish chase it in and eat where I set the hook and had it on, but I lost it in the fight.

We went back to Lake Alex and with no more luck on the weekend headed home.

A couple days later at 6:45am, I got dropped off at the Te Ngawai River, I walked up river and saw two wallabies in the river bed where I have never seen any before, plenty of brown trout along the way with many having a look at my flies and lures but none committing. I carried on and had one chase my lure right to my feet nearly taking it but just missing. I tried a Blue humpy dry fly with one finally taking it with the hook set the fight was on but unluckily for me the fish fought hard and managed to find the safety of the willows, tangling me up and snapping the line, I was absolutely gutted by this, but I continued.

Further up river I spotted yet another brown trout and put a Wayne’s Blowfly fly over it. It was unfazed the first few times I tried, then one more time - he took it and I struck but for the third time in the past week missed the strike, gutted by this yet again I trudged on and found a fish sitting in a pool with no flow, so quickly I grabbed my net scooped him up and took him to the main flow of river to save him. After a tough few days fishing I can't wait to head back out and try my luck and seek redemption.

I’d really like to win this fly rod set as I think this would be a great opportunity to teach my younger brothers how to use a fly rod. We are heading up the Ahuriri River for new year’s and it could be a great chance for them to use it.

Cheers, Harry Jones”

Harry with his new fly rod set, ready for more adventures.

ReWild Snap & Share Photo Competition – Now Open

Lucie is the first monthly winner of a $250 Kilwell voucher.

Don’t forget to take a few photos while you’re out fishing this season. Entries are now open for Fish & Game’s Snap & Share monthly photo competition, running from November 2025 to March 2026.

Each month you could win a $250 Kilwell voucher, with a grand prize of your winning photo featured on next season’s fishing licence, PLUS a $1,000 Kilwell voucher.

It’s not just about the catch — we want to see the moments that make fishing special, from first casts and family outings to quiet days on the water.

For full details, terms and conditions, and to enter, visit the Fish & Game website, here.

Fish & Game Remind Anglers to Stick to the Rules This Season

Fish & Game Ranger Blake Harper checks a compliant angler during a night ranging operation on the Pūkaki Canal.

With summer holidays upon us Central South Island Fish & Game are reminding anglers to purchase a 2025/2026 sports fishing licence and to carry it with them, ready to show it to a ranger on request.

You can easily buy your licence online through the Fish & Game NZ website, here, or from your local licence agent in-store.

All anglers that target trout, salmon, perch and other sports fish in freshwater are required under the Conservation Act 1987 to hold a valid sports fishing licence and adhere to the sports fishing regulations.

Anglers are also reminded to check the sports fishing regulation guide as regulations can differ between various waterways. To view the Central South Island’s sports fishing regulation guide, click here.

Central South Island Fish & Game Compliance Coordinator, Hamish Stevens, said “Fish & Game rangers will be active over the holiday season to observe the success of anglers and ensure that rules are being followed.”

“Anglers who choose to fish for sports fish without a licence or otherwise break the regulations can expect to end up in court. It’s not a risk worth taking and it is much cheaper and less stressful to purchase a licence and follow the rules.”

Anglers who are unsure of regulations or requirements should contact their local Fish & Game Office for advice. Staff are happy to help and in addition to regulations can also provide information on where to go and how to fish the waterways in our region.

During the previous 2024/25 fishing season, which ended on the 30^th September 2025, Fish & Game Rangers undertook their duties across 44 waterways in the Central South Island Fish & Game Region, interviewing 3,290 anglers. This is over a 30% increase on the previous 2023/24 season interviews (2,507 anglers). Sixty-nine people were found offending, accounting for a total of 82 offences. Most offences were detected at the Mackenzie hydro-electric canals near Tekapo and Twizel.

The most common offence detected was fishing without a current sports fishing licence with 33 unlicenced anglers found by Fish and Game Ranger’s last season.

Other common offences detected were using unauthorised bait, fishing out of season, providing false and misleading information to a Ranger, using more than one bait assembly and using more than one rod.

Rarer offences detected included: continuing to fish after having taken a bag limit, breaching the requirements of the sea-run salmon licence, obstruction, fishing from a boat where it is prohibited, and being more than 15m from rod.

In 44 of these cases, offenders were charged and summonsed to appear in the District Court.

Fish & Game Rangers have interviewed 552 anglers already in the current 2025/26 fishing season, detecting 18 people offending.

The maximum penalty for fishing without a licence, and most regulation breaches, is a criminal conviction, a fine of up to $5,000 and forfeiture of fishing gear used. In recent years persons found fishing without a licence have been ordered by the Court to pay up to $1,000 in fines and costs.

It’s just not worth it, do the right thing and get your licence and educate yourself on regulations.

Online Access Brochures

Access brochures available online.

Our traditional access hard copy brochures are available online.

These are full of useful information for some of the Central South Islands regions key fisheries. Click on the name of the fishery to check out their access brochure.

And remember, the most up to date way to find a fishing spot is to use the F&G Central South Island Region Access Map, here. We suggest creating a shortcut to this map on your phone. This will allow you to quickly access the map and view nearby locations while you're on the go.

Perch Fishing Tips

A perch from Lake Emma, Ashburton Lakes.

Perch are an aggressive feeding fish and are usually pretty easy to catch which make them a great introductory fishing species for new and young anglers and a great option for the family over the summer holidays.

West Coast Fish & Game put together a helpful video on how to catch perch a few years back and the same tips and techniques apply to perch found in the CSI region. To watch the video, click here.

Perch can be found in the following CSI waterways: Lake Hood near Ashburton; Lake Clearwater, Lake Camp and Lake Emma at the Ashburton Lakes; Saltwater Creek in Timaru; Waihao River Lagoon near Waimate; and Island Stream near Maheno in North Otago.

Keep It Clean at The Canals

CSI Fish & Game Ranger Blake Harper picks up some discarded fishing line, there’s no need for it.

Over this holiday season please keep the canals clean of rubbish and if you do see some rubbish while fishing, do a good deed and pick it up if possible.

Unfortunately, in society there is often 1% of people that let the team down. This appears to be the case when it comes to littering at the canals.

Genesis Energy and Meridian Energy no longer supply rubbish bins at the canals. It’s now a take in, take out policy.

Weather and Water Outlook

Please always check the weather and waterway conditions yourself before heading out to ensure an enjoyable day on the water.

Click on the links below to the weather and water condition forecast providers we use.

Keep a close eye on river and lake levels at Environment Canterbury’s River Flow Website here and rainfall website here.
Outdoor Access NZ offer high quality live stream webcams of some of Canterbury’s favourite fishing spots. This is a subscription-based service, but they do offer a 30-day free trial.
There are some great weather forecasting websites available, we use YR.NO, Metvuw and NIWA Weather

NOTICE BOARD

Return Your Sea-Run Salmon Bag Card

If you are finished sea-run salmon fishing for the season, please remember to return the details of your salmon bag card to us.

Even if you didn’t go fishing, or catch or keep any sea-run salmon, your information is still important.

You can do this online by clicking here, give us a call on 03 615 8400, email csi@fishandgame.org.nz or post the card to us at P.O Box 150 Temuka 7948.

Meridian Energy Limited

The controlled release of Lake Pūkaki continues from the Pūkaki Gate Structure into the Pūkaki riverbed.

While this water is being released, please do not enter the riverbed over this period under any circumstances, and remember to obey all warning signs, as currents and river flows will be unpredictable.

Due to expected rainfall and ongoing snowmelt, we haven’t confirmed an end date for this release. Updates will be made via the Meridian Energy Ltd Facebook page, here.

Genesis Energy Limited

The controlled release of Lake Takapō/Tekapo into the natural bed of the Takapō/Tekapo River is continuing.

Please do not camp in or around the Takapō/Tekapo River bed and take care when accessing or recreating in river areas downstream of dams and hydraulic structures in case of flow changes.

If you see others who may be at risk, please contact Genesis’s Control Centre on (07) 384 7210.

Updates will be made via the Genesis website, here.

Remember every story helps inspire and engage the CSI angler community. Please email Jase at jvanbeers@fishandgame.org.nz with your own angling reports.

Click here for Central South Island Fish & Game on Facebook

For any questions, please email csi@fishandgame.org.nz or call 03 615 8400.

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.