Fishing Regulations

CENTRAL SOUTH ISLAND REGION
 
Contact:

Dunedin Office Postal Address Phone Fax Manager Office Admin Field Officers Resource Officer

32 Richard Pearce Drive, Temuka PO Box 150, Temuka (03) 615-800 (03) 615-8401 Jay Greybill Bernadette Dolan Graeme Hughes, Mark Webb Bridget Pringle

Fish & Game New Zealand’s Central South Island region extends from the south bank of the Rakaia River in the north, to Moeraki in the south. With their headwaters in the Souther Alps, the Waitaki and the Rangitata are the region’s biggest rivers. These are noted Chinook salmon fisheries with best fishing success from January through April. The Rangitata Mouth is one of the more famous fishing locations in the South Islans as large numbers of salmon can be caught here. Salmon fishing in the Waitaki tends to be split amongst mouth and upriver anglers, with fishing from anchored jet boats being a popular option. Smaller rivers including the Opihi, Temuka, Ashburton and Kakanui together with many high country lakes are habitat to substantial brown and rainbow trouth fisheries. Fontinalis (brook trout) are also present in some of these waters. In fact the Central South Island Region probably offers the best Fontinalis populations in the country, with Lake Emily being renowned as the place in New Zealand to catch a trophy. For sheer numbers of trout, the waters of the McKenzie country are hard to beat. The Tekapo River in particular contains very good numbers of trout which are not overly difficult to catch.

The invasive algae Didymo is present in the Waitaki catchment. Please help us stop the spread of Didymo by restricting use of fishing gear to exclusive use in a single waterway. If you move gear between waterways you must CHECK, CLEAN, DRY. For more information on Didymo visit www.biosecurity.gopvt.nz

REGULATIONS

Reference to Description : New Zealand Gazette, No. 83, 24 May 1990, page 1861, as amended by New Zealand Gazette, No. 129, 29 August 1991, page 2786.

1. INTERPRETATION
See First Schedule.

METHODS AND BAG LIMITS
2.1 The open season in all waters of the Region is from 1 October to 30 April except where otherwise specified in Section 2.4 or closed under Section 3 of this notice.
2.2 All legal methods as described in the First Schedule are permitted in all waters of the Region except where otherwise specified in Sections 2.4, 4 or 6 of this notice.
2.3 The daily limit bag in all waters of the Region is 2 trout and 2 salmon except where otherwise specified in Section 2.4 of this notice.
2.4 Open season, permitted methods and daily bag limits for Central South Island Rivers and Lakes:

 

River/Lake	Season	Permitted Methods	Trout Limit	Salmon Limit
Ahuriri River and its tributaries upstream of and including Longslip Creek
	2 Dec—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	2
Ahuriri River and its tributaries downstream of Longslip Creek except Omarama Stream
	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	4	2
Ahuriri River Lagoons	2 Dec—30 Apr	Fly fishing only	2	n/a
Alexandrina, Lake & tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	4	2
		max 1 brown trout
Alexandrina, Lake Winter Season	1 Jun—31 July	Spinner/fly	2 sports fish
		max 1 brown trout
Ashburton River North Branch	1 Oct—31 Mar	Spinner/fly	2	2
Ashburton River North Branch	1 Apr—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	Closed
Ashburton River South Branch and tributaries upstream of Taylor’s Stream junction
	1 Oct—31 Mar	Spinner/fly	2	2
Ashburton River South Branch and tributaries downstream of Taylor’s Stream junction
	1 Apr-30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	Closed
Ashburton River downstream of State Highway No. 1
	1 Jun—31 Aug	Spinner/fly	2 sports fish
Aviemore, Lake	All year	All legal	4	2
Aviemore, Lake tributaries except Deep Stream and Otematata River
	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Benmore, Lake other than when fished from a boat or flotation device
	All year	All legal	4	2
Benmore, Lake when fished from a boat or flotation device
	All year	Spinner/fly	4	2
Benmore, Lake tributaries except Tekapo, Ahuriri and Otematapaio rivers
	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Cameron, Loch	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Camp, Lake	4 Nov—31 May	Spinner/fly	2	n/a
Centennial Park Lake (Timaru)	All year	All legal	2	n/a
Clearwater, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	n/a
Deep Stream and tributaries East of the bridge where it enters Lake Aviemore
	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	2
Deep Creek, a tributary to the upper Rangitata River
	Closed	None	0	0
Deep Stream, a tributary to the upper Rangitata River
	Closed	None	0	0
Denny, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Donn, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Emily, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Emma, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	n/a
Gray’s River	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	n/a
Hakataramea River upstream from State Highway No. 82
	4 Nov—31 Mar	Flyfishing only	2	2
	1 Apr—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	Closed
Heron, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	6 sports fish
	no more than 4 to be trout or 6 to be salmon
High country tarns or lagoons	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Hind’s River child or junior licence holders
	1 Oct—30 Apr	All legal	2	2
Irishman’s Stream	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	n/a
Kakanui River and tributaries upstream of Five Forks Bridge
	1 Oct—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	2
Kakanui River and tributaries downstream of Five Forks Bridge
	1 Oct—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Lake Stream	4 Nov—31 Mar	All legal	2	Closed
Larch Stream	4 Nov—31 Jan	All legal	2	2
Macgregor, Lake	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	2
Maerewhenua River upstream of State Highway No 83
	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	2
Maori Lakes and their tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Mary Burn	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	n/a
Merino, Lake	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Middleton, Lake	All year	All legal	4	2
Middleton, Lake tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Mystery, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Ohapi Stream	1 Oct—31 Mar	Spinner/fly	2	2
Ohapi Stream	1 Apr—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	Closed
Ohau B and C hydro canals	All year	All legal	2	2
Ohau, Lake other than when fished from a boat or flotation device
	All year	Spinner/fly	4	2
Ohau, Lake when fished from a boat or flotation device
	All year	Spinner/fly	4	2
Ohau, Lake tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Omarama Stream upstream of State Highway No. 8
	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	2
Omarama Stream downstream of State Highway No. 8
	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	2
Opihi River upstream of Opuha River junction
	1 Oct—31 Mar	All legal	2	2
Opihi River upstream of Opuha River junction
	1 Apr—30 Apr	All legal	2	Closed
Opihi River downstream of Opuha River junction
	1 Oct—31 Mar	All legal	4	2
Opihi River downstream of Opuha River junction
	1 Apr—30 Apr	All legal	4	Closed
Opihi River downstream of State Highway No. 1
	1 Jun—31 Aug	Spinner/fly	2 sports fish
Opuha, Lake and its tributaries	1 Oct—30 Apr	All legal	6 sports fish
	no more than 4 to be trout or 6 to be salmon
Opuha River	1 Oct—31 Mar	All legal	4	2
	1 Apr—30 Apr	All legal	4	Closed
Orari River and tributaries upstream of Slip Panel Stream
	1 Oct—31 Mar	All legal	2	2
Orari River and tributaries upstream of Slip Panel Stream
	1 Apr—30 Apr	All legal	2	Closed
Orari River and tributaries downstream of Slip Panel Stream
	1 Oct—31 Mar	All legal	4	2
Orari River and tributaries downstream of Slip Panel Stream
	1 Apr—30 Apr	All legal	4	Closed
Otematapaio River	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2
Otematata River and its tributaries upstream of Clear Stream
	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	2
Otematata River and its tributaries downstream of Clear Stream
	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	4	2
Poaka, Lake	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Pukaki, Lake	All year	All legal	4	2
Pukaki, Lake tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Rangitata Diversion Race from the intake downstream to Rakaia River Road
	All year	All legal	4	2
Rangitata River and tributaries upstream of Turn Again Point about 12 km above the gorge except Deep Stream and Deep Creek
	1 Oct—28 Feb	Spinner/fly	2	2
Rangitata River and tributaries upstream of Turn Again Point except Deep Stream and Deep Creek
	1 Mar—31 Mar	Spinner/fly	2	Closed
Rangitata River and tributaries downstream of Turn Again Point
	1 Oct—31 Mar	All legal	4	2
Rangitata River and tributaries downstream of Turn Again Point
	1 Apr—30 Apr	All legal	4	0
Rangitata River downstream of State Highway No. 1
	1 Jun—31 Aug	Spinner/fly	2 sports fish
Roundabout, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	2	n/a
Ruataniwha, Lake including Wairepo Arm and Kellands Pond
	All year	All legal	2	2
Ruataniwha, Lake, Wairepo Arm and Kellands Pond tributaries
	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	2
Saltwater Creek	All year	All legal	2	n/a
Spider, Lake and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	n/a
Tekapo, Lake	All year	All legal	4	2
Tekapo, Lake tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Tekapo-Pukaki hydro canal	All year	All legal	2	2
Tekapo River upstream of lower powerlines across the river about 1 km upstream from Lake Benmore
	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Temuka River and tributaries	1 Oct—31 Mar	All legal	4	2
Temuka River and tributaries	1 Apr—30 Apr	All legal	4	Closed
Tengawai River	1 Oct—31 Mar	Flyfishing only	2	2
Tengawai River	1 Apr—30 Apr	Flyfishing only	2	Closed
Tinwald Domain pond, child licence holders only
	All year	All legal	2	n/a
Twizel River and its tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	2
Waihao River upstream of Forks Bridges
	1 Oct—30 Apr	Spinner/fly	2	n/a
Waihao River downstream of Forks Bridges
	1 Oct—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Waihi River and tributaries	1 Oct—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Waitaki, Lake	All year	All legal	4	2
Waitaki Lake tributaries	4 Nov—30 Apr	All legal	4	2
Waitaki River and tributaries	1 Oct—31 Mar	All legal	4	2
	1 Apr—30 Apr	All legal	4	Closed
Waitaki River downstream of State Highway No. 1
	1 Jun—31 Aug	Spinner/fly	2 sports fish

3. CLOSED SEASON
3.1 No licence holder shall fish for sports fish in the following waters:
Aviemore spawning race
Awakino River
Deep Creek, a tributary to the upper Rangitata River on Mt. Pott’s Station
Deep Stream, a tributary to the upper Rangitata River on Forest Creek, Tui and Mesopotamia stations
Kauru River
Tinwald Domain Pond if the holder of other than a child’s licence

3.2 No licence holder shall fish for sea run salmon in the following waters:
Lake Stream
Ashburton River and its tributaries between 1 April and 30 April
Opihi River and its tributaries between 1 April and 30 April
Opuha River and its tributaries between 1 April and 30 April
Orari River and its tributaries between 1 April and 30 April
Rangitata River and its tributaries between 1 April and 30 April
Rangitata River and tributaries upstream of Turn Again Point and shown by the white posts on the riverbank between 1 March and 31 March
Waitaki River and its tributaries between 1 April and 30 April

3.3 No licence holder shall fish for trout in the following waters:
Rangitata River and tributaries upstream of Turn Again Point and shown by the white posts on the riverbank between 1 April and 30 April
Lake Stream between 1 April and 30 April

4. AUTHORISED TACKLE
4.1 No licence holder when fishing for sports fish shall use any unsportsmanlike device or method.
4.2 A licence holder when fishing for sports fish in the Rangitata River or its tributaries:
4.2.1 May use, seaward of a line drawn between the 2 poles situated near the upstream limit of the estuarine area, an artificial fly only if the total weight of everything attached to the cast does not exceed 28g.
4.2.2 May cast other than from the reel or retrieve other than by winding the reel only when using bait or fly fishing, or when fishing with an artificial fly seaward of a line drawn between the 2 poles situated near the upstream limit of the estuarine area.

4.3 Down riggers, paravanes, metal cored or wire lines and weights to assist sinking of trolled lures are prohibited in Lake Alexandrina.

5. COARSE FISHING WATERS
Saltwater Creek
Centennial Park Lake (Timaru)

6. USE OF BOATS
6.1 Fishing from boats is prohibited in:
Lake Camp
Lake Denny
Lake Donn
Lake Emily
Kellands Pond
Lake Roundabout
Lake Spider
Wairepo Arm of Lake Ruataniwha
That part of the region seaward of the Rangitata River mouth, except from an anchored boat between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on any day at a seaward distance greater than 200 m from the nearest shore at low tide. The seaward boundary of the Central South Island Region around the Rangitata River mouth is a line drawn at a distance of 500 m from any place where at low tide the waters of the river meet the waters of the sea.

6.2 Fishing from any unmoored boat is prohibited in:
Lake Emma
Lake MacGregor
Lake Middleton
Maori Lakes

7. MINIMUM LENGTH
The minimum length for salmon killed in waters of the region shall be 300mm except in Lake Heron where the minimum length shall be 250 mm and for the period 1 March to 30 April the maximum length shall be 450mm.
 

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