Lower North Lowdown Weekly Fishing Report 9 October 2025

Great Fishing Between Fronts

Sun, wind, showers, rain - we've got typical spring weather conditions to contend with this weekend. 

The very bottom of the North Island looks to cop the most rain, anglers in other parts of the Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game region should stay relatively dry, however, but they'll have to find shelter from strong nor-westerlies.     

Pictured - Ollie Mitchell got his season off to a cracking start with this lovely Wairarapa brownie (Photo: Derek Mitchell).

Don't let the weather put you off though. Those anglers who have got out when good conditions have presented have done exceptionally well with some stunning trout already being caught so early in the season.

As we've mentioned previously, the small streams can fish very well at this time of year when the main rivers are coloured or have high flows.  

That was illustrated by an angler we ran into last week who found the Manawatu was up and dirty so he fished a small tributary and latched into around a dozen medium to large rainbows!

One of numerous good sized rainbows from a small tributary caught recently.   

The point is, despite the spring weather, if you do your research and a bit of scouting, you will find fishable water and some awesome early-season angling! 

Don't forget to keep snapping and sending in those photos to enter our competition to win a $300 voucher from Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing - see details below. 

We hope to see you out on the water soon. 

Grab Your Licence And Get Into The Action!

 

Get yourself in on 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 is carry extra flow and some colour this morning but will fish well for spin anglers with the baraometer dropping; fly fishermen could do well swinging streamers such as bead-head Wooly Buggers across and downstream. The Pakarutahi, Whakatikei and Akatarawa have a tinge of colour but will still suit upstream fly fishing. It isn't great news for Wellington and Hutt anglers over the weekend with heavy rain forecast, however, the Wairarapa looks to be in the lee of the weather and it isn't too far to go over the hill to find some fishable water in the smaller eastern feeder streams of the Ruamahanga.    

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 holding lots of flow after heavy rain and the subsequent minor fresh that rolled through on Tuesday. At time of writing, however, they are all clear and quite fishable. Spin fishing, and streamers for the fly anglers, will take fish under these conditions, especially in the lower reaches where whitebait are running. Unfortunately, we've got some heavy rain coming in from the Tasman over the weekend so get in today or tomorrow if you can because the Kapiti rivers are fishing well when conditions allow. Remember that when the spring weather settles, vehicle access to Otaki Forks has been reinstated for the first time in about five years - making access to some of the upper waters much easier! This is an exciting prospect for the season ahead. 

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

 

Wairarapa

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

The Ruamahanga River and tributaries - the Waiohine, Waingawa and Tauherenikau - are slightly elevated in flow but generally clear and will certainly be fishable today and tomorrow. There is no major rain forecast for the region over the weekend, however, a front moving in from the Tasman Sea and hitting the Tararuas could cause the main rivers to come up if the rain spills over the ranges. Watch the flows carefully, but at this stage we're picking conditions should be okay. If the rain does push into the western Wairarapa catchments, the likes of the eastern rivers and Waipoua should remain fishable. Don't forget that public access to Kourarau Dam is now open so there is a good still-water option if the rivers blow out.                       

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.

The Manawatu River is high and brown right the way through but it is dropping quickly so, with no major rain in the forecast, upstream of the gorge and higher up in the catchment could be good this weekend. Similarly, the Pohangina and Oroua are a little too high and dirty but given a few days without any rain they too should be worth a shot this weekend. The Mangahao River has fished well so far this season and is dropping flow quickly after Tuesday rain event - well worth a look on Saturday and Sunday if it keeps falling at the current rate. As with other parts of the lower North Island, finding sheltered water out of the wind is going to be a requisite this weekend.                   

The Mangatainoka at Putara on Tuesday (Photo: Matt Kavermann).

Rangitikei

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

The Rangitikei River is well down from last weekend but still has high flow and colour through the middle-upper reaches. Unfortunately, despite falling fast there is still a lot of water to clear before it becomes fishable. The Hautapu is also falling quickly off the fresh that went through a couple of days ago so, slightly more promising, if the rain holds off (as is forecast) this could be a chance for a fish over the weekend, certainly towards Sunday. Anglers who scout around up some of the smaller tribs of the Rangitikei and Kawhatau should find clear, fishable water and some good trout hanging about.             

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

Taranaki Ringplain

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

Early reports from anglers have been encouraging, with some excellent fish being caught around the Ringplain, including trout up to 3.5kg. Rivers may have seen less angling pressure so far this season due to the unsettled weather, so those who brave the elements are likely to be rewarded. Creeper imitations are working very well at this time of year, with streamers proving their worth when fished in the eddies and near the banks of raised and discoloured rivers. Looking ahead, the forecast for the rest of the week and into the weekend shows strong, consistent northerly winds and occasional patches of rain. Heavy rain is expected on Thursday, but after that, only brief showers are likely as systems pass through from the Tasman. To stay out of the worst of the wind, it’ll be worth focusing your efforts on the southern side of the mountain, with rivers such as the Waingongoro, Pātea, or parts of the Manganui offering some shelter. 

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

Waiwhakaiho River at Audrey Gale Reserve yesterday afternoon (Photo: Jack Harland).

Waimarino

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

Raetihi and Ohakune are also feeling the brunt of the strong northerly winds this week, but with a bit of exploring it shouldn’t be too hard to find a sheltered stretch of river to fish. Waimarino rivers have seen consistent small freshes throughout September, a small fresh on Tuesday has lifted the Mangawhero, but levels are already settling back to typical October levels. On-and-off showers with consistent northerlies and warmer air temperatures are forecast as we head into the weekend. Some excellent fish were caught in the Waimarino toward the end of last season, and this spring should offer similar opportunities. When checking conditions, use the Mangawhero River as a reference for regional flow levels (information found here), as there’s currently no flow recorder for rivers such as the Manganuioteao.

For more info on fishing opportunities in the Ruapehu region, click here. 

The Mangawhero River at Ohakune this morning (Photo: Hamish Carnachan).

 

Video of The Week - How To Tackle The Wind 

In this episode of Untangled, Spencer Durrant gives you all the information and tips you need in order to fly fish in the wind.

Say goodbye to tangled lines and frustrated days on the water, and hello to success, even when the wind is blowing hard.  

Click the screenshot above to watch.  

 

Photo Competition - Win A $300 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

Alex Mitchell wasn't going to be bested by his younger brother Ollie, nabbing another lovely Wairarapa brown (Photo: Derek Mitchell).

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. 

 

'Fishing Great For Your Wellbeing' - New Research Finds

Many of you already know this but it's great to have research to back it up. 

Our research involving nearly 1900 anglers, the largest of its kind globally, has shown that fishing can significantly boost wellbeing and mental health. What better reason to buy a licence and get out on the water!

Key findings from this landmark study published in Leisure Sciences:

Active anglers were

✓ 52% less likely to experience moderate-to-severe psychological distress

✓ 46% less likely to experience moderate-to-severe anxiety

✓ 52% less likely to report thoughts of self-harm

The research found a clear "dose-response relationship" - the more you fish, the better your mental health outcomes.

For more, check out our factsheet on the study. 

 

Lake Rotomanu Kids' Fishing Event

Great weather and a good turn out at last year's event. 

The Lake Rotomanu Kids' Fishing Event held by Taranaki Fish & Game has been reschedule.  

To give the participants the best possible chance to enjoy themselves and catch a trout, the event will now be run on either Sunday, October 19, or Saturday November 1.

We will confirm new dates shortly and send out another update once these are locked in.

In the meantime, please keep an eye out for correspondence and updates in the Lower North Lowdown fishing report.

 

Wellington and Taranaki Access Maps  

There's no better resource to help you plan your fishing missions this season than our new online interactive access maps.

Click the map below to start planning your weekend angling outing!

 

Regs Changes For 2025-26

Wellington Fish & Game Region: NO changes for the new season. 

Taranaki Fish & Game Region: 

There have been three small changes for the new season - 

• Return to a 2-fish limit and the use of all methods (fly, spin, and bait fishing) for the Waiaua River and Opunake Lake. Opunake Lake is not currently fishable, but we are hopeful that it will be when the hydro scheme gets up and running again.
• A new clause (1.5) has been added to Note 1: Scented artificial lures may be used in all waters other than fly fishing only waters, when actively fished to imitate a bait fish. Scented soft baits can now be used in fly and spin only waters (e.g. Hangatahua [Stony], Kaiauai and Kapuni) when actively fished as a spinner. These days it’s hard to tell the difference between scented and unscented soft baits and so this is a change for practical reasons.
• And another new clause (1.6) has been added to Note 1: No licence holder shall use as bait any fish taken from any water other than where the fishing is occurring. This is a biosecurity measure to reduce the risk of disease or organism spread (e.g. gold clam).

For the full regulations, click here.  

 

Noticeboard

• Check out Greater Wellington Regional Council's latest schedule of flood protection operations here.
• Taranaki Fish & Game is holding the Stratford Kids' Fishing Day on Saturday, December 6. We'll bring your more details in the coming weeks. 
• Access to Otaki Forks in Tararua Forest Park has been reinstated making access to the upper reaches of the Otaki River much easier.
• Moawhango Flushing Flows - Confirmed dates are as follows:

December 09/10, 2025
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 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.