Lower North Lowdown Weekly Fishing Report - 21 November 2024

More Opportunities Ahead This Weekend 

It’s been an incredible start to the season in the lower North Island with the weather continuing to shine on anglers and some superb trout being caught.

Some unsettled weather later today sees hail and a few heavy showers but it should push through quickly.  

Pictured above: Ben Ellison with a beautiful silver Lake Wairarapa brownie.      

We’ve had several freshes over the past month but nothing major and most weekends have seen great fishing conditions; at this stage that should hold again for Saturday and Sunday.

The rivers have plenty of spring flow but they’ve been clean and clear, providing plenty of opportunities for fly and spin anglers alike.

Where you encounter deeper pools, or in the larger rivers, soft baits are proving deadly with good whitebait runs pushing through both west and east coast waterways in the lower North Island.

A white or silver body soft bait with a dark back has been particularly effective.

These lures are working well in Lake Wairarapa at the moment as the whitebait move up through the Ruamahanga system. Anglers fishing the lower reaches of the Taranaki Ringplain with softbaits have struck similar success.  

After a period of settled weather and light winds the water around the Tauherenikau delta has been crystal clear and both trout and perch can been sight fished in the shallows, making for awesome angling action.

We’ve also had good reports of chunky sea-run browns being caught on the Kapiti Coast rivers – the stretch downstream of SH1 on the Otaki is fishing very well.

With warmer temperatures in the early-20s starting to prevail, we can expect the action to heat up further as the bugs burst back into life after a dormant period over the winter and early spring months.

Brown beetles are starting to appear in the evenings, so dry fly action on still warm nights is certainly on the cards. Warm and humid days have also seen blowflies emerge in numbers in rural areas. 

Don't forget to keep those fishing pics rolling in - it could net you a $300 Hunting & Fishing voucher (read on for details about how to enter).   

 

Get Amongst The Action!

Jump online and get your licence the easy way - it only takes a minute. Click the image above to get started. 

Here's the outlook this weekend...    

Hutt Valley

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Hutt Valley.

The Hutt River has dropped back down nicely and should fish well this weekend. The river was dirty and running at 50 cumecs last Saturday morning after rain in Tararuas on Friday night. It rose more during the day but was falling fast on Sunday. Monday morning saw a Hutt Valley Angling Club member Graham Odlum catch four fish in an hour, with one large brown lost. Check the flows before heading out in the weekend incase the weather this afternoon brings in more rain than forecast but it should be good to go based on the current outlook.   

The Hutt River at Totara Park this morning (Photo: Al Markham)

Kapiti Coast

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Kapiti Coast. 

The Otaki, Waikanae and Ohau are all carrying extra flow from rain in the ranges late last week but they are clear and very fishable at time of writing this morning. While there is a forecast for hail and thunderstorms this afternoon, and even a dusting of snow for the Tararua Range tonight, there isn't much in the way of rain expected so, fingers crossed, the flows will remain as they are for anglers this weekend. Just check the updates before hitting the water.         

The Otaki River at SH1 yesterday (Credit: Phil Teal).  

 

Wairarapa

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Wairarapa region.

It's a blustery day in Wairarapa but the sun is out and it's lovely and warm. The Ruamahanga River and tributaries - the Waiohine, Waingawa and Tauherenikau - are all looking tantilising for anglers! There is good shelter from the nor-wester at the Cliffs (where the image below was taken) and a nice fish could be seen happily rising under the willows. Keep an eye on the latest flows - we're not expecting too much water to come through but if the main rivers rise then the Waipoua, Kopuaranga and Huangarua should be okay.                       

Check out the latest conditions for the lower Ruamahanga by calling this free-phone number - 083229069.             

The Ruamahanga River at the Cliffs this morning (Photo: Hamish Carnachan).

Manawatu

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Manawatu region.

Reports indicate the Manawatu River is carrying a little colour in the reaches below the gorge this morning but it is well fishable - streamers, softbaits and spinners would be the go. Upstream we can see from the live webcam at Weber Road that the river is quite clear and should fish well to the fly. The Pohangina and Oroua have fallen back nicely after rain last weekend and are sitting at good flows for angling. 

The Manawatu River at Pamerston North this morning (Photo: Matt Kavermann).

Rangitikei

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Rangitikei region.

The Rangitikei River is a little slow to drop the extra flow from the fresh that went through last Saturday. However, despite a bit of colour mid-stream there is a good clear edge which should make for perfect spin fishing and softbait conditions. Some heavy showers are forecast this afternoon before clearing fine into Friday and over the weekend so it will be a case of watching the live flows closely and perhaps targeting some of the smaller tributaries like the Hautapu. Any pulse of rain coming through should be brief, though, hopefully making for good fishing opportunities on Sunday.              

The Rangitikei River at Mangaweka this morning (Photo: Horizons).           
 

Taranaki Ringplain

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Taranaki Ringplain region.

Last Friday’s significant rainfall elevated and discoloured rivers throughout Taranaki, but the warmer (yet very windy) weather pushing through behind it on Saturday and Sunday finally offered anglers a chance to get out and find some more action. The forecast for the rest of the week looks promising aside from the chance of some squally rain that may move through this afternoon. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are looking more settled, with easing south-westerly winds, sun and clouds.

Check out the up-to-date data on rainfall and river flows. 

The lower Waiwhakaiho River this morning (Photo: Jack Harland).

Waimarino

Click here for live updates and forecasts for the Waimarino region.

There's a mixed bag of weather throughout the Waimarino today, with periodic showers and the potential for some heavier rain and hail this evening before it is forecast to ease. Friday and Saturday are looking cloudy with south-westerly winds and spots of rain here and there. Some dryer weather is forecast to arrive on Sunday with a shift to westerlies. Rivers may elevate slightly due to these showers, but you should still be able to find a suitable stretch of water if you go for a look, particularly on Sunday in the upper river reaches. The live flow data for the Mangwhero River will give an indication of what conditions are like.  

The Mangawhero River at SH4 this morning (Photo: Horizons).

 

Photo Competition - Win A $300 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

Camlo Carter captured this fantastic shot of his mate Ben Ellison attached to a feisty Manawatu River rainbow.

Send in your favourite fishing photos from this season and you could be in to win a $300 voucher to spend in store at Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing.

We won't blow your secret spot, just include the name of the angler(s), photographer's details, and general location in the Wellington-Taranaki Fish & Game region.

• Click here to submit your entry.

You can send us as many fishing photos as you like. By submitting images to enter the competition you acknowledge that Wellington Fish & Game can publish and use the photos for publicity material.

Entries must be in by 5pm Tuesday, April 2, 2025. The winner will be announced in the Lower North Lowdown report on Thursday, April 4, 2025.

Video of The Week - Softbaiting Mayhem

Want to see how effective softbaits are on trout, even during high summer when rivers are low? Click the screenshot above to watch. 

The footage is from the South Island but the river is very similar to reaches of the Ruamahanga, middle-upper Manawatu, and a handful of Ringplain waters, so there's no reason why you can't get amongst lower North Island trout on softbaits too. 

Paddle tail lures in neutral colours, particularly white and black, have been very effective in our waters so far this season.     

  

Tip of the Week - Reading Water, Finding Fish

One of the issues Fish & Game has identified as a barrier to retaining new anglers in freshwater fishing is that they often spend futile hours casting in the wrong places, and ultimately not catching fish.

We've created a range of resources to help people identify likely holding water where trout will lie so they can get their flies or lures in the 'bite zone'. 

Check out our Reading Water, Finding Fish blog, where you'll also find links to online resources including an instructional video and brochure with handy diagrams.           

 

Stratford Kids’ Trout Fishing Day - Update

Successful angers at the 2023 Stratford Kids Fishing event.

The Stratford Kids Fishing day is being held on Saturday, December 14, at the Stratford Scout Den Pool.

Children will be able to fish from 8am until 1pm with help from Stratford Fishing Club members and volunteers.

To give everyone a decent chance at catching fish, parents can now reserve a 15-minute time slot for their kids. To book your time, you can either visit the Stratford I-Site in Miranda Street, Stratford, or call 0800 765 6708.

All fishing gear will be provided, though if you have a good supply of worms for bait they’ll be much appreciated.

Check, Clean Dry - Help Protect Waterways

With summer fast approaching and the days getting longer, now is the perfect time to familiarise yourselves with the NEW North Island Check Clean Dry procedures. Click here to watch. 

 

Noticeboard

• Council River Works: Don't let bulldozers in the river ruin your fishing plans. Click here to download a schedule of Greater Wellington Regional Council's latest planned river engineering works.
• Access to Lake Namunamu, near Hunterville, is closed as the access road is upgraded in preparation for the logging of Ngaruru Forest over the next three to five years.

If you have any angling-related information you'd like posted to this noticeboard, including upcoming angling club meetings and outings, please get in touch with us.  

*This report was accurate at time of writing. For your safety, please ensure you check the latest weather and river flow information before you head out on the water.