Otago Weekly Fishing Report - 6 November 2025

You couldn’t have asked for better conditions to kick off the high-country fishing season with clear blue skies and light winds across much of Otago over the weekend.

Fish & Game rangers were out across the region ensuring anglers were following the rules. One ranger checked more than 40 anglers on opening day alone and reported excellent compliance. Despite some rivers still running a little high and discoloured, most anglers were finding success and enjoying the stunning weather and scenery.

Pictured above: PJ Foxley with an excellent backcountry brown trout caught fly fishing on opening day with his grandfather. Credit: Peter Clulow.

A key theme throughout the weekend was the strong sense of tradition and family on the water. Overall, it was a highly successful opening weekend with a 100% compliance rate, a great reflection on all the anglers checked.

While the weather isn’t expected to be quite as perfect this coming weekend, fine conditions throughout the week have allowed rivers to drop and clear, providing extra sight fishing opportunities.

First-Time Lucky at Soft Bait Clinic

Lance Gill, from Okuma, demonstrates softbaiting to a crowd of about 75 anglers at the Taieri River at Titri last night. Inset: Richard Stephenson (top left) with an excellent-sized perch, and Diego Frizon who also caught a perch with his first cast during his first time fishing. Credit: Bruce Quirey.

Diego Frizon won’t forget his first cast at the Otago Fish & Game Soft Bait Clinic on the Taieri River at Titri, near Dunedin, last night.

About 75 anglers learned some new tricks and tips during the clinic with guest speaker Okuma pro-angler Lance Gill on a perfect evening.

The river was discoloured but that didn’t stop a few anglers from hooking onto perch. Among the lucky ones was Diego, who caught a fish on his first cast having just picked up a rod for the first time in his life.

This free clinic covers the essentials of soft bait fishing — rods, lines, soft bait lures, rigging, and casting and retrieving techniques.

• Our next soft bait clinic will be held at McNulty Inlet at Lake Dunstan, Cromwell, from 10am-noon on Saturday, November 15.
• Select here to register online on the Fish & Game website.

Making the Most of the Murk

Cole Briggs kicked off the season with an early rainbow trout that required some finesse to extract from tight trees, but a heavier leader helped him land the fish in the swift current. Credit: Supplied.

Early-season flows can make spotting fish tricky, but they also offer a forgiving introduction to the season, especially if you haven’t picked up a fly or spin rod since last year.

The old saying, “If you can’t see the fish, they can’t see you,” holds true in these conditions. Murky water lets anglers shorten leaders for easier casting, use heavier tippet to apply more pressure during the fight, and stand closer to the fish than they could in crystal-clear water.

Pair this approach with dark-coloured spinners, softbaits, or specialised fly choices, such as hot-headed nymphs, squirmy worms, large stoneflies, or streamers, and a bit of snowmelt or colour in the water shouldn’t deter anglers early in the season.

Lake Lurkers

Ben Kelly (aged 13) with a chunky brown trout caught near the Pisa Mornings on Lake Dunstan. Credit: Supplied.

The shoreline of Lake Dunstan has been firing, says Tim, from Hunting & Fishing Central Otago.

Cruising brown trout have been the main target, with dark-coloured soft baits and spinners proving particularly effective. The most productive area has been between Lowburn and Pisa Moorings, with success coming from the shore and boats.

Boat anglers have been doing well targeting the drop-offs using two to three colours of lead line paired with Tassie Devils or Tobys. Diving minnows such as Rapalas and Halco deep divers have also produced good results. Further up the lake, brown trout have been seen sipping emergers near the Bendigo Wildlife Management Reserve and cruising the flooded margins — a great sign for anglers looking to sight-fish in the shallows now that the Upper Clutha is starting to clear.

Don’t Get Caught Out This Summer — Check Your Boat ID

The 2025 QLDC Navigation Safety Bylaw introduces new vessel registration requirements aimed at improving identification, safety, and accountability on the district’s waterways.

For motorised vessels, this means displaying an identifying name or number above the waterline on each side of the vessel. Commercial vessels already registered with Maritime New Zealand or those with a registered VHF radio call sign can use their approved names or numbers.

For most recreational boat owners with trailer-borne vessels, the new rules require displaying the registration number of the trailer above the waterline on each side of the vessel. The identification must be at least 90 millimetres high and readable from a distance of 50 metres.

These rules are similar to those already in place across the rest of Otago under the ORC Navigation Safety Bylaw, which can be viewed here.

Please note that non–power-driven vessels under six metres in length are exempt from the vessel ID requirements. However, it is recommended that all vessels — even those not required to display identification — are marked somewhere with the owner’s name and contact details to assist in case of loss or emergency.

Watch Out for Logs on Lake Dunstan

One of many large logs seen floating down Lake Dunstan on Sunday. Credit: Mason Court.

Staff conducting a creel survey over the past week, particularly on Sunday, noticed a significant amount of debris — including large floating logs — in Lake Dunstan.

Combined with the discoloured water flowing in from the Kawarau Arm, this has created hazardous boating conditions.

Some large logs are almost impossible to see — semi-submerged just below the surface. Anglers and boaties are urged to exercise extreme caution when navigating the lake.

142nd Waipahi Gold Medal

The medal winners from the 142^nd Waipahi Gold Medal are Matt Pettersson - gold (middle), Dan Natta – silver (right), and Shane Hansen (left). Credit: Bruce Quirey.

Only about a teaspoon separated gold from silver in the 142^nd Waipahi Gold Medal at the weekend.

Top honours went to Matt Pettersson, nudging out Dan Natta by only 5 grams more in fish weighed in.

Early rain on Friday gave the Waipahi River a slight rise in flow, greeting anglers with coloured but steadily clearing water on Saturday morning.

True to reputation, the Waipahi proved challenging with few fish seen or caught across the beats. Despite the conditions, 19 fish were weighed in and the winners fully earned their recognition for skilful angling.

The Otago Anglers Association thanked the contestants, landowners who provided access, and event sponsors for continued support. Otago Fish & Game staff were on-site collecting trout otoliths (ear bones) from the weigh-in — research that helps determine where fish have lived during their life cycle and supports management of key spawning streams within the lower Clutha/Mata-Au catchment.

Results (weights gutted & gilled):

• Gold Medal – Matt Pettersson, Beat 14, 3 fish @ 3.65 kg
• Silver Medal – Dan Natta, Beat 1, 3 fish @ 3.60 kg
• Bronze Medal – Shane Hansen, Beat 12, 2 fish @ 2.18 kg
• Jaff Hansen Trophy (Heaviest Fish): Daniel Natta, 1.56 kg
• Waipahi Cup (Heaviest Bag by Otago Anglers Association member): Dan Natta 

NEW: ReWild Snap & Share: The Fish and Game Licence Photo Competition Launches

Fish & Game NZ has launched a brand-new Snap’n’Share photo competition, and wants to see your favourite fishing moments!

Whether it’s a memorable catch, a quiet sunrise on the water, your child’s first cast, a laugh with friends, or a perfect solo day out, we want to celebrate the experiences that make fishing special. There’s plenty to win: a $250 Kilwell voucher every month from November through February, and the Grand Prize – your winning photo featured on next season’s fishing licence plus a $1000 Kilwell voucher! As the weather improves and we head outdoors, start capturing those special moments – it’s not just about the catch, but the places, people, and memories you create. November is your first chance to win, so don’t wait! Submit your best photo and check out other entries here, and please read the full terms and conditions to make sure your entry complies with the rules.

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.

New 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

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

A warm and windy weekend is on the way for Dunedin. Saturday will see cloud clearing to fine conditions in the afternoon, with strong northwesterlies easing in the evening. Sunday is forecast to be overcast, with northeasterlies developing throughout the day.

The Taieri River at Outram was at 20 cumecs this morning. The water temperature was 15.4 degrees C.

Click here for live MetService weather updates.

Wānaka

Getting out on the water early might be the key to success around Wānaka this weekend, with strong northerly winds forecast to develop in the afternoons on both Saturday and Sunday. Rivers have continued to drop with the fine weather throughout the week, but with rain and showers expected from Sunday evening through to mid next week, anglers should make the most of the favourable weekend conditions.

Click here for live MetService weather updates. 

Alexandra

Late Saturday afternoon and evening look to be the best window for anglers, with cloud forecast to clear and strong northwesterlies expected to ease, providing good opportunities to target both the larger reservoirs and local rivers. Sunday is forecast for showers and northerlies developing throughout the day.

Click here for live MetService weather updates. 

Clutha Regional Forecast

Cloud is forecast to clear through Saturday, with strong northwesterlies easing, giving anglers some respite. Sunday is expected to bring isolated showers throughout the day, with northeasterlies developing in the afternoon. Similar to the last couple of weeks, the Clutha River is still flowing high and carrying significant discolouration.

The Pomahaka River was flowing at 13 cumecs this morning.

The Lower Clutha River at Balclutha was at 1100 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.