Otago Weekly Fishing Report - 4 December 2025

Building ceremony marks a new chapter

Cutting the ribbon at the new building in Mosgiel yesterday are Otago Fish & Game Council chair Adrian McIntyre (left), past chair Dr John Jillett, and Colleen Wright, the wife of the late former chair Monty Wright. Credit: Gerard O’Brien, Otago Daily Times.

We’ve officially opened our new Otago Fish & Game Council headquarters in Mosgiel.

Yesterday we celebrated a big milestone for our organisation — a new purpose-built home on Hazlett Rd, blessed in a whakawatea led by Komene Cassidy from Ōtākou Rūnaka and opened in a ceremony alongside our councillors, staff, partners and supporters.

Our new base brings everything under one roof and puts us closer to the rivers, lakes and wetlands where our work happens. With solar panels, EV-ready infrastructure and modern comms facilities, it’s built for the future — and for the anglers and game bird hunters who fund our work.

The project was funded through the sale of our previous Dunedin property, allowing us to upgrade with minimal impact on reserves.

The opening ceremony was dedicated to the memory of long-time staff member and chair, the late Monty Wright. The ribbon was cut by Monty's wife Colleen and former chair Dr John Jillett with present chair Adrian McIntyre.

A huge thank you to W Hamilton Building Ltd for delivering the build on time and on budget.

Salmon on the bite in Hāwea

A pair of tasty sized salmon destined for the dinner table. Photo: Cole Briggs.

Salmon fishing near the Hāwea Dam and campground is starting to heat up, with schools of salmon congregating in good numbers near the dam wall.

Anglers are reporting success from several spots in the area. A key tip is to use a lure heavy enough to reach the school and allow it to sink before retrieving, as some salmon will even strike on the retrieve. Popular colours are silver, blue and pink. Smaller heavy lures are proving to be effective for casting distance and sink rate.

Smaller salmon are also present in the schools, so if you catch one and plan to release it, take extra care: keep it in the water while unhooking and release gently. If the fish appears unlikely to survive, it should be kept. Current Lake Hāwea limits are two trout and four salmon. Rangers will be monitoring licences and catches to ensure compliance.

Boat anglers can often locate the schools on a sounder, then either troll directly over them or drift and cast back towards the school. Jigging with flies or soft baits can also be effective. Remember, anyone fishing under power from a motorised boats must stay at least 100 metres away from any shore-based angler.

Looking after your catch

With the weather warming up and the lakes and rivers producing some excellent eating-quality fish, properly looking after your catch is just as important as landing it.

To get the best from trout, salmon, or perch, dispatch each fish quickly and humanely to reduce stress and preserve the flesh’s texture. Keep your catch cool immediately — ideally on ice in a chilly bin — to slow bacterial growth and maintain freshness, particularly on warm days. For larger trout or salmon, gutting soon after landing helps if they won’t be filleted the same day. Once home or at a suitable spot, fillet your fish and give it a quick wipe with a paper towel before eating, or vacuum packing to freeze for later enjoyment. Following these simple steps ensures your hard-earned catch tastes as good as it looks.

More information can be found here

Starting to look up

It is hard to beat Otago backcountry brown trout —  in particular excellent models like this one Sam Fisher landed last week. Photo: Supplied.

With air temperatures rising and water levels (fingers crossed) beginning to drop, backcountry trout are starting to show more activity, giving anglers excellent opportunities for sight and subsurface fishing.

Sam, from Queenstown Hunting & Fishing, recently ventured into one of Otago’s Designated Waters and had a fantastic day. Trout were seen holding in long runs, gliding through riffles, and suspending in deeper pockets, often responding eagerly to well-presented flies.

Small dry flies were particularly effective, with classic patterns such as Dad’s Favourite, size 14 Royal Wulffs, and similar parachute-style dries producing consistent takes. For subsurface fishing, unweighted pheasant tail nymphs worked well. The river was running clear, but fish were still incredibly hard to spot. Take your time to search all likely water for any smudge or shape and in doubt don’t be afraid to cover it with a cast.

Fish in the slow flows

Hadlee with a solid brown trout caught in a high and dirty lower Clutha. Photo: Supplied.

As we covered in detail in last week’s fishing report, the lower Clutha River continues to run high and dirty.

But that didn’t hold back Hadlee, from Dunedin Hunting & Fishing, and his mate James from successfully fishing with soft baits below Balclutha this week. Hadlee caught his trout in a backwater on a black-and-gold soft bait with a 1/12 ounce jighead. “It was tough fishing but there’s a lot of whitebait in the river. Trout were busting up on them. Look for where there is not a lot of flow,” Hadlee says. Using the same soft-bait set-up, James caught two trout during his first time fishing for trout and Hadlee one. The pair fished for three hours.

Toxic algae at Butchers Dam

Otago Regional Council says recent samples taken this week have confirmed the presence of naturally occurring toxic algae (cyanobacteria) at Butchers Dam.

If you’re fishing or visiting the area:

• Stay out of the water
• Keep dogs well away from the margins

Fishing and eating your catch:
Fish caught in areas affected by toxic algae are generally safe to eat as long as they are cleaned, gutted, and washed thoroughly, and you 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.

Toxic algae can be dangerous to both people and animals. If you think you’ve had a reaction after exposure, seek medical advice. If you suspect your dog has ingested water, contact a vet immediately.

You can find the latest toxic algae warnings and how to identify it at orc.govt.nz/toxicalgaewarnings.

Rounding off the weekend

Fishing last light in the rain on the lower Taieri River on Sunday evening. Photo: Bruce Quirey.

Fishing doesn’t have to be in remote places, especially when time is short. A weekend doesn’t feel complete without spending a bit of time on a river or lake somewhere.

After a busy couple of days doing chores, Fish & Game staff member Bruce Quirey ducked down to the local river — the lower Taieri — near Mosgiel for a quick cast in the rain in the last hour of light. After some high daytime temperatures, fish can be active early or late in the day. The Taieri was low. A few sedges were about and there were only a couple of rises from small fish. At least the weekend now felt complete. In the past week Mike Weddell also fished the lower Taieri River, catching a trout on Hare’s Ear Nymphs — unweighted size 14 and weighted size 12.

Check out Otago angler access points in the Where to Fish link.

1080 Operation completed – Dart, Routeburn & Caples Valleys

The Department of Conservation has completed its aerial 1080 predator control operation in the Dart, Routeburn and Caples Valleys (Sunday 23 November 2025).

The work targets rising rat numbers linked to a predicted beech mast and aims to protect vulnerable native species, especially mohua. A follow-up operation is planned in 14–16 months.

Anglers should be aware that green, cinnamon-lured 1080 pellets may still be visible on the forest floor. Please follow DOC’s safety advice:

• Do not touch bait, and watch children closely.
• Dogs are at extreme risk from baits and carcasses.
• Do not eat trout for 7 days after an operation.

Warning signs remain in place until DOC confirms the area is safe—typically 6–10 months after treatment.

For further information please email NPCPwhakatipu@doc.govt.nz

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

Look for sheltered fishing spots tomorrow with strong winds rising to gale before easing in the evening. Saturday looks like the best day for fishing — fine before showers at night. Sunday will be in the high 20s due to northerlies with a few showers mainly from evening.

The Taieri River at Outram was at 11.1 cumecs this morning. The water temperature was 14.5 degrees C — optimal for trout feeding.

Click here for live MetService weather updates

Wānaka

Take care out there tomorrow as northwesterlies rise to gales before easing in the evening. Saturday looks like the best pick of the days this weekend. Rain on Sunday — becoming heavy late — will push up river levels.

Click here for live MetService weather updates.

Alexandra

Tomorrow is mainly fine in Central Otago with the chance of an afternoon shower. But northwesterlies gusting to 100kmh will make finding shelter essential. Winds ease late. Saturday and Sunday look good for fishing before showers turn to rain. Pack a coat and get among it!

Click here for live MetService weather updates.

Clutha Regional Forecast

Mainly fine tomorrow but a few showers late morning and afternoon — possibly heavy — and gale northwesterlies easing in the evening. Get out there on Saturday. It should be mainly fine. Expect a few showers on Sunday before evening heavy rain.

The Pomahaka River spiked up to 50 cumecs on Tuesday but was flowing at 10.4 cumecs this morning — a good sign for angling.

The lower Clutha River at Balclutha was at 1090 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.