North Canterbury Fishing Report Thursday 14th January 2021

Weather and river conditions look favourable for Friday and Saturday in the region, with another Nor-west front forecast to hit the main divide later on Sunday, which will make the rivers unfishable next week.

Light winds are forecast until Sunday morning, so fishing should be good everywhere, especially the high country, with good hatches in the high-country lakes at present. 

Salmon fishing has slowed recently, however there have been a few salmon taken this season weighing between 16 – 20lbs.

It appears there is an abundance of food around the coast at present, so salmon will be making the most of this and putting on as much condition as they can before heading for their spawning grounds.

We still hope to see good numbers of salmon show up in all the rivers sometime over the next month, with the Waimakariri River generally fishing well in this latter half of the season.

Anglers wanting to target salmon upriver would be best to be on the water at first light and use light tackle as there is usually little activity in the middle of the day. 

As the salmon rivers become low and clear as freshes recede, which they usually do at this time of year, we expect to see salmon numbers build up around the mouths and tidal reaches, with salmon coming into the gut and lagoon areas at high tide and retreating to the ocean as the tide lowers and this can result in some great fishing in these areas. 

The best bet for trout anglers wanting to head into the high country to fish the lakes this weekend looks like tomorrow and Saturday, with winds usually increasing later in the day.

Anglers that have put the effort in at the right time have reported good fishing in most of the lakes in the region, with good reports continuing to come from anglers trolling on Lake Coleridge, especially early morning. 

Anglers please remember there is no salmon fishing in the Western Zone of our rivers above the white posts.

Rangers will be actively monitoring the headwaters over the next few months, with this regulation in place to protect spawning salmon.

Good luck if you are heading out for a fish this weekend.

Steve Terry, North Canterbury Fish & Game Officer