Lower North Lowdown Weekly Fishing Report - 8 January 2026
- Wellington Taranaki
- 8/01/2026
Best Fishing Of The Season Starts Now
We're well into summer now and a switch has flicked on the fish.
It's likely been triggered by an abundance of insects around in the warmer conditions and longer days. Some anglers have even reported hearing the first of the cicadas for the summer too.
Pictured above - Scott Anderson fighting a good fish on a tributary of the Rangitikei River.
Soil-moisture levels through December have been okay, so hopefully it's going to be another good year for cicadas as they find it easier to hatch out of the ground.
A good cicada season means a good time for anglers too because trout simply can't resist these large protein packs when they hit the water. If these noisy insects aren't about in your neck of the woods they certainly won't be far off.
The fish are looking up anyway, happily feeding off the surface, with plenty of other bugs around including spiders, grasshoppers and beetles to name a few. It is often said that the best fishing of the season starts when the large terrestrial insects appear.
Get out and make the most of it. Meantime, we'll be back to normal reports next week.
Hope to see you on the water.
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Here's the outlook for the weekend:
Hutt Valley
Click the link for live updates and forecasts for the Hutt Valley.
Live river flow information for the Hutt and Akatarawa can be viewed by clicking the highlighted river links. If you're after more info on the waterways in this part of the region check out our dedicated access website where you can download maps and access instructions.
The Hutt River at Te Marua - stunning trout fishing water just minutes from town (Credit: Hamish Carnachan).
Kapiti Coast
Live river flow information for the Waikanae, Ohau and Otaki can be viewed by clicking the highlighted river links. If you're after more info on the waterways in this part of the region, check out our dedicated access website where you can download maps and access instructions.
A cracker Otaki rainbow from below the SH1 bridge (Credit: Andrew Harding).
Wairarapa
Click the link for live updates and forecasts for the Wairarapa region.
Live river flow information for the Ruamahanga and major tributaries - the Waiohine, Waingawa and Tauherenikau - can be viewed by clicking the highlighted river links. If you're after more info on the waterways in this part of the region, check out our dedicated access website where you can download maps and access instructions.
Pete de Boer with a lively Ruamahanga River brown trout (Credit: Andrew Harding).
Manawatu
Click the link for live updates and forecasts for the Manawatu region.
Live river flow information for the Manawatu and its main tributaries - the Oroua, Pohangina, Mangatainoka and Mangahao - can be viewed by clicking the highlighted river links. If you're after more info on the waterways in this part of the region, check out our dedicated access website where you can download maps and access instructions.
Beautiful water for sight fishing high up on the Mangatainoka River (Credit: Hamish Carnachan).
Rangitikei
Click the link for live updates and forecasts for the Rangitikei region.
Live river flow information for the Rangitikei and Hautapu can be viewed by clicking the highlighted river links. If you're after more info on the waterways in this part of the region, check out our dedicated access website where you can download maps and access instructions.
Hooked up on the Rangitikei River above Springvale (Credit: Hamish Carnachan).
Taranaki Ringplain
Click the link for live updates and forecasts for the Ringplain region.
The latest live flow data for Taranaki Ringplain rivers can be found here. If you're after more info on the waterways in this part of the region, check out our dedicated access website where you can download maps and access instructions.
The Waingongoro River with Mount Taranaki in the background on a lovely summer's day (Credit: Allen Stancliff).
Waimarino
Click the link for live updates and forecasts for the Waimarino region.
Live river flow information for the Mangawhero River can be viewed by clicking the highlighted river links. If you're after more info on the waterways in this part of the region, check out our dedicated access website where you can download maps and access instructions.
Fishing the evening rise on a slow-moving Manganuiateao River (Credit: Hamish Carnachan).
Hunting & Fishing Photo Comp - Win $300 To Spend in Store
Terry Ashburn has been getting into some lovely fish this season - here's another of his Manawatu rainbows.
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 Sunday, March 29, 2026. The winner will be announced in the Lower North Lowdown report on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
Video Of The Week
USA's Catch Magazine is a quality outfit and this short film they've put together of the crew fishing in New Zealand is an equally beautiful production.
Click the screenshot above to watch.
Summer Holiday Reading
If you missed it in the mail at the start of this season, you can click on the cover of Fish & Game NZ magazine above to download a copy.
There you'll also find issues going all the way back to 2016. So, there's heaps of summer fishing and hunting reading just waiting for you.
Latest Newsletter - Top Tips And Heaps More
Click the image above to download the latest issue of our Wellington-Taranaki newsletter.
It's packed with tips, reports and other useful info to help you have a successful season.
Notice Board
- Access to Otaki Forks in Tararua Forest Park is now open.
- Moawhango Flushing Flows- Confirmed dates are as follows:
- January 20/21, 2026
February 17/18, 2026
March 17/18, 2026 - 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 information you'd like to have considered for addition to the notice board, please get in touch with us.
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.