North Canterbury Weekly Fishing Report - 7th November 2024

Greater range of opportunity

Last weekend marked the opening of high-country lake fishing here in North Canterbury. Although Saturday brought challenging conditions with strong northwesterly winds, Sunday offered much better weather. Calm conditions allowed boat anglers to enjoy the lakes fully, and there were reports of excellent catches throughout the weekend.

Now with the lakes and majority of the rivers now open for fishing this makes anglers more flexible on where to go fishing depending on the weather and method of fishing that you want to use.

Currently, our major braided rivers are running high and murky. Once these waters clear up and become suitable for fishing, it’s a good opportunity to seek early-season sea-run salmon making their way up the river.

 

With new waters now open this is a great chance for anglers to freshen up on regulations: North Canterbury Regulations Book

 

 

Leave your intentions

As we enter the busy fishing season, with many non-resident anglers arriving, remember to leave a note on your vehicle’s dashboard with your planned fishing location. This simple courtesy helps other anglers respect your fishing spot and improves everyone’s experience.

 

Lake Roto Kohatu

Please note, Lake Roto Kohatu is now closed for fishing for the summer season and will reopen on April 1, 2025.

 

Weekly Fishing Tip

Spin fishing is an excellent choice for anglers of all experience levels, whether you're a seasoned pro with years of expertise or a newcomer just starting your journey. The insights shared by Malcolm Bell are invaluable, offering something useful for everyone. This week's edition is particularly special—longer than usual, it’s packed with a wealth of knowledge that will prove valuable to anglers at any stage of their fishing adventure.

Video Breakdown:
0:00–4:55 – The Gear You Need to Spin Fish
4:56–8:46 – How to Approach Different Fishing Areas
8:47–11:14 – Using External Resources to Assist Your Fishing

 

Weather Update 

Lowland areas will experience significantly warmer weather on Friday, which could provide excellent clarity for sight fishing on the larger braided rivers—assuming they clear. While the warmer temperatures will make fishing incredibly enjoyable, the high country is under an orange rain warning, meaning rivers there will likely become dirty again with higher flows. Despite the rain, the lakes will still offer great fishing opportunities. The increased cover will allow anglers to use larger lures or flies with greater success.

On Saturday, the orange rain warning will still be in effect for the high country, and the lowland weather is expected to be much the same as it was on Friday. Anglers willing to brave the challenging conditions or rising river flows may find themselves well rewarded. There could also be a brief window of opportunity for sea-run trout and possibly salmon to run up the larger rivers.

This Sunday, the high country rain will clear, offering anglers a prime opportunity to venture into some of the newly opened waters—potentially the first chance of the season for many. However, be mindful that river flows may still be high, as the recent bad weather will have traveled downstream.

To help you plan your fishing adventures, be sure to check the following resources:

• E-Can River Flows: River Flow Data
• Outdoor Access Live Cameras: Live Cameras (subscription required)
• MetService Weather Warnings: Weather Warnings

 

Happy fishing, stay safe out there!

Want to contribute to the weekly fishing reports?

Here at North Canterbury Fish & Game we are extremely passionate about sharing YOUR angling stories. Whether you caught a massive fish or took you girls and boys out fishing for the first time, want to hear and tell your stories.

 

When you’re out this season don’t forget to take some photos or videos and send them to jmeecham@fishandgame.org.nz with a little back story on your angling adventures.

 

Tight Lines for Week Ahead!

Jackson, Harry & the rest of the North Canterbury Team