Central South Island Weekly Fishing Report - 30 October 2025

High Flow Fishing Techniques Required this High Country Opening Weekend

This Saturday, the 1st of November is a big day on the fishing calendar.

The big snow dump last Monday night, and constant wild spring weather has seen the majority of high country rivers flooded and are unfortunately holding high flows leading into this coming weekend.

Pictured above: With high flows across CSI high country rivers, lake fishing could be the key to a memorable and safe high country opening weekend.

The day will call for high flow fishing techniques and being open to alternative fishing methods and locations. Having a lake as a backup option could help you to find success, if you find the river you’ve been planning to fish is too high.

The Ahuriri River has a new opening day this season, aligning with the rest of the high country season and there has been a lot of buzz around this.  To effectively fish the Ahuriri, flow rates want to ideally be at, or under, 25 cubic meters per second (cumecs) for spin fishing and under 20 cumecs for sight fishing.  As of Thursday morning, the river is sitting at 94 cumecs and trending down.  Other high country rivers such as the Tekapo River are best suited to spin fish around 15 cumecs and sight fishing is most effective from 10 cumecs and under.  

Big fly’s such as woolly buggers and artificial worms like squirmy worms will be the order of the day for the higher flows.  Soft baiting and even trying bait fishing, where legal, such as drifting garden worms along the edges can prove effective in challenging high flows.

Some high country opening options for lakes are Lake Merino, Lake Poaka and Lake Alexandrina. After 12pm on Saturday, at the conclusion of the Kids Salmon Fishing Day, Loch Cameron will also be available to fish.  Opting for year-round lakes like Lake Benmore could provide an enjoyable high country experience especially with the great weather predicted! But beware, high flows from the Ahuriri and Tekapo Rivers mean there are areas of discoloured water there too.

If you are heading to Lake Heron/Ōtūroto and plan to drive to Harrison’s Bight – the DOC vehicle access permit website is now live, click here.

For many anglers, High-Country opening marks the start of their season, so be sure to purchase your new 2025/26 season licence, here and brush up on the 2025/26 regulations, here, as there have been some changes.

Check out our Angler Access Website here for some high-country spot info.    

So have a few different plans up your sleeve this high country opening and tight lines!

A keen angler gives away a secret highly effective fishing technique at the canals.

Father–Son Canal Adventure

Van Christmas with a solid rainbow caught under the watchful eye of his dad, Andrew.

Andrew Christmas and his son Van travelled all the way from Taupō for a father–son fishing week over labour weekend — and the hydro canals didn’t disappoint!

Van was all smiles after landing a stunning rainbow trout from the Ōhau A Canal.  Andrew followed up with an impressive brown trout from the same spot after a 20min fight, caught on a C3 Nymph Pattern 101 fly.

The pair crossed paths with Fish & Game Ranger, Jase Van Beers, during their trip, who was stoked to see them both enjoying the canals and practising great catch, care, release.

Andrew Christmas with a beast of brown trout that put up a big fight.

Father-Son magic at the canals

Look After the Little Ones at Lake Heron

Along with many high-country waters, the fishing season opens next Saturday November 1^st at Lake Heron/Ōtūroto.

Anglers who target lake-type salmon at Lake Heron tend to catch and release several undersized salmon less than 300mm while aiming to catch larger-size fish to harvest.

A conscientious approach to catching and handling undersized salmon ensures that these little ones have the best chance to go on to reach harvest size in the lake for the following season or migrate out of the lake and contribute to the sea-run salmon fishery.

There are two key approaches we suggest aiming for, and some associated advice to help you achieve success:

• Release the fish without taking it out of the water.
  • Wear waders, long gumboots, or wet wade so that the fish never has to leave the water while you unhook it.
  • De-barb your hooks with pliers – barbless hook can enable a super-quick and often touch-free release.
  • Do what experienced local anglers do - use single hooks as they find them easier and quicker to remove compared to treble hooks.
  • Use long nose pliers to remove hooks.  
• Limit your catch – limit the risk.
  • Set yourself a voluntary daily catch & release limit for undersized salmon at Lake Heron.
  • For example, you may voluntarily choose to stop fishing for salmon once you have released 6 undersized salmon.
  • Lake Heron has an excellent trout fishery so move to a new spot and turn your attention to trout after reaching your voluntary salmon catch and release limit.

CSI Fish and Game Council have agreed to make single hooks mandatory at Lake Heron in the 2026/27 fishing season, starting November 2026. The delayed introduction will support anglers and retailers to equip themselves with single hook lures and for rangers to educate anglers on the upcoming change. The single hook regulation aims to achieve quick and easy unhooking of undersized salmon to reduce injury risk.

Don’t Forget - Kids Salmon Fishing Day

This weekend the annual Kids Salmon Fishing Day is happening at Loch Cameron, 5km from Twizel on Saturday morning. Bring the kids along to catch a fish and win a spot prize!

The event is for kids between the ages of 4 and 11 only. Registration is on the day from 8:30am, fishing starts at 9am. 

Big thanks to Mount Cook Alpine Salmon.

For more info email: ndellaway@fishandgame.org.nz

Angler Reports

Bruce Quirey with a fine fussy brown caught in a small stream near Fairlie.

Bruce Quirey sent in this report from Lake Ōpuha/Ōpūaha 

“I visited your patch around Fairlie at the weekend, I spent a couple of hours at a few spots. On Saturday, I landed a 2lb brown from Lake Ōpuha on a damsel fly nymph pattern, picking it up off a point – a worthwhile Stillwater choice as the water was stirred up by strong wind and too murky to sight fish. The lake was busy with boats, rafts, kayaks, and shore anglers. 

Most rivers were running high and fast, but I managed to find a smaller, clear stream with a trout feeding actively. After dozens of casts and three fly changes to get the correct depth and drift, I eventually caught it - a 4lb brown trout on a weighted size 12 nymph.”

Upper Ōhau River – Opens 1st November

Harry Graham-Samson caught this big upper Ōhau river rainbow trout during the controlled ballot period back in September.

The controlled period on the Upper Ōhau River ends with the opening of the high-country season on Saturday - this means all licence holders can fish the river from the 1st of November. 

DOC have closed a small section of the river’s track network to protect nesting black fronted terns/ tarapiore at ‘Tern Island’, a critical breeding colony for this nationally endangered species.

Please avoid fishing close to the breeding colony, it is signposted and notably the birds will dive bomb you – if this happens move to a new area.

Please keep away from Tern Island while fishing the Upper Ohau River

Thank You Anglers!

Anglers look on as kayakers race by.

The Meridian Twizel Hard Labour Committee would like to thank the fishing community for their consideration and understanding with the running of the Steve Skinner Kayak event on the canals last Saturday.

 Around 100 kayaks passed down the canal system on the day.  All funds raised from this weekend go to Sports Twizel for the support of youth sport in Twizel.

Fish and Game Ranger, Jase Van Beers, was present along the canal bank during the event undertaking compliance and was thoroughly impressed with the positive attitudes and excitement of anglers in seeing something a bit different along the canals for a few hours on the day.

Next Week We Want your High Country Opening Weekend Yarns!

After this coming opening weekend, no doubt you’ll have some memorable experiences so please email your reports to Jase, here. We’d be stoked to hear from you!

Photography Tips:

Kept Fish: Make sure your fish and hands are clean of any blood — a respectful and tidy photo makes for great presentation.

Released Fish: Use these careful catch, care, release techniques:

Here are our ‘Quick 5’ tips for handling fish with care: 

1. Cool your hands and landing net by wetting them before touching the fish.
2. Keep the fish in the water while removing the hook.
3. Do not squeeze the fish and never touch the gills.
4. Photograph the fish in or over the water and make it quick - the fish should not be out of the water for more than 5 seconds.
5. Revive the fish facing into the current long enough for it to regain its swimming strength.

An in depth article by Mark Sherburn recently published in the latest Fish & Game Magazine title “Catch and Release Making It Count” can be found here 

Spot X

Lake Alexandrina South End Huts angler access

Lake Alexandrina South End Huts is located 5.6km from Tekapo, after turning off SH8, onto Godley Peaks Road.

The turnoff is on the left just before the Mt John Access Road. It’s a 2km drive to the lake. There is shoreline access by walking and for small boat launching. Rainbow trout, brown trout and salmon are present here.

Regulations for this location are:

• Open season: First Saturday Nov – 30 Apr
• Winter season: 1 Jun – 31 Jul
• Fishing methods: Fly & Spin
• Min size limit: Salmon – 300mm
• Open season daily bag limit: Trout – 4 max, brown trout – 1, salmon – 2
• Winter season daily bag limit: Sports fish – 2, maximum 1 brown trout

NOTE: No angler shall fish using downriggers, paravanes, metal cored or wire lines and weights to assist sinking of trolled lures.

Check out our Angler Access Website here for all the Central South Island Fish & Game angler access locations.    

Weather Outlook

An angler fishes Lake Poaka on a previous High Country opening day.

NOTICE BOARD

Notification from ECan

“We would like to notify you of the upcoming ground weed spraying operations on the Upper Waitaki rivers which includes the Tekapo and Pukaki rivers. We plan to start spraying on the 10^th of November using a tractor mounted unit along with a truck where required.

Signage will be placed at all known access points to the river before we start.

We will have staff on the river from Monday 3^rd November, however they will be focussing their efforts on hand removing wilding pines from any easily accessible areas.

I anticipate that the entire operation will be underway until at least the end of March 2026, accounting for the Christmas break and other variables. Prior to the spray operations commencing, we will have a contractor using a drone to carry out detailed mapping of weed distribution within the target areas.

This same contractor will also be carrying out a bird survey using a thermal camera to identify and buffer any nesting native bird species. The drone operations will be weather dependent; however, the plan is to start on Monday 3^rd November.

We will be operating under Environment Canterbury’s spray consent CRC222040.”

To learn more about the ECan weed control program and upcoming work, click here.

Please remember to email your angling reports to Fish & Game Officer, Jase Van Beers, at jvanbeers@fishandgame.org.nz.  We’d love to hear from you!

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