Otago Weekly Fishing Report - 11 December 2025

Making hay while the sun shines

Early summer has been behaving much like spring, with rain appearing right in the middle of what should be calm, settled spells.

All this extra moisture has kept river and lake levels higher than usual. It pays to make the most of the settled windows between the rain, and this weekend is no exception, with more wet weather forecast next week.

Cole Briggs with a long rainbow trout, found cruising in a backwater. Credit: Mason Court.

If rivers are still dropping and slightly discoloured, change up your tactics — target the clearer edges, or run streamers and soft-baits through the likely holding water.

Salmon are still being caught in good numbers around the dam wall and campground at Lake Hāwea, and fishing in Stevenson Arm on Lake Wānaka is starting to pick up as well. Mark from Southern Wild Wanaka recommends regularly checking your gear when trolling on Lake Wānaka, as lake snow has been causing issues by fouling lures. It’s far better to check every 15–30 minutes than spend hours unknowingly dragging a clogged lure around.

The Upper Clutha is still running high but remains clear. Heavy tungsten-headed nymphs in sizes 12–14 have been working well on the Deans Bank section.

Drift dive notification – Greenstone & Caples Rivers

Staff are planning to drift dive the Greenstone River today, 11 December, and the Caples River on 12 December.

Drift-diving involves staff drifting downriver to count and classify fish. The survey is part of our ongoing initiative to expand our drift-dive programme and establish baselines for long-term monitoring of key fisheries. 

We aim to complete our drift dives before the start of the season each year, but due to limited weather windows over the past months and other workload pressures, this was unfortunately not possible. These dates are the only suitable opportunity available.

Apologies for any disruption and thank you for your understanding.

Feeling the heat? Go perch fishing!

Visiting angler John Lyall with a Lake Tuakitoto perch. Credit: Ian Hadland.

Warm winds coupled with longer sunny days have ramped up lake temperatures, in turn driving the delightful tablefare species into hyper-active mode. These conditions make perch very catchable.

Local perch botherer Ian Hadland and his mate John Lyall from the West Coast landed a dozen good perch on a recent outing to Lake Tuakitoto with the best being over 1kg. Using bright soft baits in yellow or white seemed to be preferred by the perch but a paddle tail in a smelt-coloured pattern was also catching. This colour has the added benefit in being of interest to cruising trout as well. 

Fillets were later deep fried in a beer batter to top off a sweaty afternoon on the lake.  

Upsize your lure for bigger fish

Perch fishing up in Central Otago is also heating up, with Tim from Hunting & Fishing Central Otago, reporting good numbers of large, well-conditioned perch being caught on perch-coloured lures and soft-baits.

Big perch are cannibalistic and will readily eat a smaller fish if it can fit inside their mouth, so upsizing your lure is often the key to finding the better models.

Trout commonly coexist with perch in many of these waters, and they can make for a very welcome bycatch when you’re out targeting perch.

Butcher’s Dam is a great introductory spot for new perch anglers, with plenty of smaller fish to keep rods bending — but please read the next item about Butcher’s.

Toxic algae warning

Toxic algae (cyanobacteria) at Butcher’s Dam. Credit: ORC.

Please note the ORC has issued a toxic algae warning for Butcher’s Dam— make sure you follow all precautions if you intend to fish there.

• Fish caught in areas affected by toxic algae are generally safe to eat as long as they are cleaned, gutted, and washed thoroughly
• Avoid eating the gut or liver, where any toxins may accumulate
• If the fish looks or smells unusual, or you’re unsure, it’s best not to eat it

Click here for more important advice from the ORC about toxic algae.

Bow waves in the Basin

Spot the bow wave on this oxbow! Credit: Jayde Couper.

One of our Fish & Game officers was doing habitat improvement work at Fish & Game’s Paerau Wetland Wildlife Management Reserve yesterday when he took this photo of a trout darting away — a good reminder of the quality fish that live in the Upper Taieri oxbows through the Styx Basin.

These backwaters fish are more like stillwater and can hold surprisingly good trout, thanks to abundant aquatic insect life.

Expect weedy conditions, particularly in the oxbows. Fly anglers do well with Corixa and midge patterns fished just under the surface, while small, lightly dressed dry flies can be effective when fish are rising. Spin anglers should use light gear and small, slow-action lures. Fish the edges just outside the weed beds, and keep the rod tip high to avoid snagging.

Stalking the river margins through this marshy, uneven terrain can be challenging and calls for a good degree of fitness.

Find out more about access at Paerau Reserve here.

Anglers notice – triennial review

We are currently working through our full review of the Otago fishing regulations, a process that takes place every three years.

Shortly, every Otago Region full season licence holder with a registered email will be contacted with details on how to contribute and share their opinion on potential changes, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Joint project protecting threatened native fish

Volunteers Eddie Weir (15) and Angus Hollows (14) release captured brown trout below the culvert which acts as a fish barrier.

A significant three-year project to protect native galaxiids in the upper Crookston Burn is showing promising results, with the number of brown trout captured and removed continuing to decline in the targeted 800-metre reach.

The sensitive headwaters of the Crookston Burn were previously protected from brown trout by an overhanging culvert which was compromised by flood damage. This allowed brown trout access to an area where the threatened and nationally vulnerable Pomahaka galaxiid were present. This project is a joint initiative between Ernslaw One and Otago Fish & Game.

In the most recent electric fishing operation, about 100 small brown trout were successfully captured and transferred downstream of the upgraded culvert, which now acts as a secure barrier, preventing their return to the headwaters.

While the project has been successfully reducing numbers to date, a small handful of trout remain in the reach. The team is planning for one final operation in early autumn to capture and transfer these remaining fish before the spawning season.  

Advocacy in action — Silverstream update

Otago Fish & Game continues to be closely involved in river works on the channelised Silverstream to ensure impacts on trout and habitat are minimised as much as practical, while recognising the role these projects play in flood protection for nearby communities.

Phase 1 of the Otago Regional Council’s Silverstream capacity improvement works — between the Taieri River confluence and Gladfield Rd — has been completed. Encouragingly, contractors recently observed around a dozen trout between Riverside Rd bridge and the pump station, indicating fish are still using the reach despite the works.

Phase 2, from Gladfield Rd to Riccarton Rd, is now underway and is following the same methodology as earlier stages.

Our Environmental Officer has been working with ORC staff through discussions focused on reducing impacts on spawning and habitat. As a result of this advocacy:

• Works have been sequenced to avoid known spawning areas where possible
• This year’s work has focused on lower reaches where Fish & Game has no records of spawning activity
• The bulk of works are being timed to avoid the main spawning season and reduce the risk of sediment discharges during winter and spring high flows
• Fish & Game is being kept informed as work progresses

A summer reminder for anglers: as temperatures rise, the Silverstream can warm quickly due to its shallowness and lack of deep pools or shade. High temperatures can cause trout to become stressed and vulnerable, so on extra-hot days it’s often best to head to cooler waters and give these fish a break.

Check, Clean, Dry – no room for complacency

Didymo in the lower Clutha River/Mata-Au near Tuapeka Mouth last season. Credit: Bruce Quirey.

High flows in the Clutha catchment will have helped flush away some unwanted didymo build-up. That’s good news — but it’s not a free pass. There’s no room for complacency when it comes to stopping the spread of freshwater pests.

Anglers and all water users still need to play their part to make sure didymo, lagarosiphon and other unwanted organisms aren’t carried from one waterway to another on gear, boats or clothing. Just a single drop of water or a tiny fragment of weed is enough to start a new infestation.

Over summer, Otago Regional Council’s Check, Clean, Dry ambassadors are out and about across the region, talking with anglers and other water users about freshwater pests and how to stop their spread. If you see them at a river, lake or boat ramp, have a chat — they’re there to help protect the places we all value.

Before moving between waterways, always:

• Check your gear, boats and clothing for plant matter or mud and leave it at the site or dispose of it in a bin
• Clean everything thoroughly
• Dry all gear completely — ideally for 48 hours — before using it elsewhere

Protecting Otago’s fisheries is a shared responsibility. Check, Clean, Dry every time.

Club updates

If your Otago club has an update or photo for inclusion in the Weekly Fishing Report, please email bquirey@fishandgame.org.nz by the Monday prior to publication on Thursday.

Don’t forget your licence

Buy early to get best value for the 2025-2026 season. Get your licence online or visit a local agent.

Click the link for a list of the agents in Otago where you can buy a licence.

Event calendar

Click here for upcoming fishing events throughout New Zealand.

Lake Hāwea webcam

A new webcam has been installed to provide a real-time view of conditions on Lake Hāwea. The webcam is provided by Snowgrass Solutions and Contact Energy and can be accessed through their website or directly via this link.

This is a great tool for anglers wanting to check lake conditions before travelling to Hāwea, or even to keep an eye on things from work before an afternoon fishing.

Please note that conditions at the southern end of the lake (near the dam) may not always reflect those north of The Neck. Weather can change quickly, so it always pays to be prepared.

Clyde Dam live webcam

A screengrab of the Clyde Dam webcam taken at the time of writing.

Want to know conditions at Clyde Dam? Check this live webcam sponsored by Contact Energy updated every 15 minutes.

Lake Wānaka live webcam

A screengrab of the Lake Wānaka webcam taken at the time of writing.

Want to know conditions at Lake Wānaka? Check this live webcam from the Wānaka Watersports Facility.

Bookmark the ORC Environmental Data Portal for real-time flows, temperature, and lake levels.

Here’s the weekend outlook:

Dunedin

Fishing conditions look great this weekend. Expect fine weather, moderate temperatures and southwesterlies for the next two days before a northeasterly late Saturday. Sunday will be partly cloudy.

The Taieri River at Outram was low at 6.3 cumecs this morning. The water temperature was 17 degrees C.

Click here for live MetService weather updates

Wānaka

Promising fishing conditions this weekend before wet weather returns early next week. Clear skies will help sight fishing. Northerlies develop on Saturday afternoon and Sunday — something to be aware of on the big lakes.

Click here for live MetService weather updates.

Alexandra

This weekend enjoy clear skies and light wind before northerlies late on Saturday. Friday’s overnight low temperature will help cool the water. As daytime temperatures creep up warming shallower water, fish will feed in cooler oxygenated riffles. Sunday looks fine but cloudy with northerlies.

Click here for live MetService weather updates.

Clutha Regional Forecast

What’s not to like about the fishing conditions in the Clutha this weekend? Early showers tomorrow will help cool the streams before Saturday — looking fine with westerlies in the afternoon. Light winds and cloud on Sunday. Enjoy before the next series of damp days.

The Pomahaka River at Burkes Ford was at 6 cumecs this morning — good wading conditions.

The Lower Clutha River at Balclutha remains high at 990 cumecs.

Click here for live weather updates.

For more ORC water monitoring and alerts information click here.

Grab your licence online and let the angling adventures begin.

Got any Otago fishing news?

Send your fishing news and photos (with anglers’ names) to otago@fishandgame.org.nz for consideration in the weekly report.