2009-2010 SOUTHLAND REGION FISHING REGULATIONS
 
Contact:

Offices

Postal Address
Phone and fax
e-Mail
Manager
Field Officers
Admin Staff

 

159 North Road, Invercargill and the Wildlife Park, Manapouri Road, Te Anau
PO Box 159 Invercargill
(03) 215-9117; (03) 215-9118
information@southlandfishgame.co.nz
Maurice Rodway
Mark Sutton,Stuart Sutherland, Bill Jarvie, Zane Moss
Cheryl Mason, Christine Stenning
 

The Southland Region of New Zealand’s South Island is home to some of the country—and world’s—finest fly fishing for wild brown trout.  Summers are often cool and wet.  At times this produces great dry fly fishing, but the weather is also a bit unpredictable, even in the months of Feb. and March, which are typically New Zealand’s most settled.  Visiting anglers should plan flexibility into their schedule. 

Because of regular rainfall, the lowland pastoral streams of Southland offer a longer fishing season than those of sunnier climates.  The Southland plains and small hills have more small stream adventure than you could explore in a lifetime, let alone a season or a short vacation.  The variety of water is such that it caters to all fishing styles, from nymph and dry-fly fishing to the traditional streamer method of downstream presentation.

Of all Southland’s fine waters, the Mataura is the most famous, and for good reason.  Not counting tributaries, it offers over 150 kilometres of fishable water and offers such a variety that it easily accommodates all angling styles.  The river rises in the Eyre and Garvie Mountains south of Lake Wakitipu and flows through Gore then to the sea near Fortrose.  Like the Aparima and Oreti, the upper sections of the Mataura host fewer, though larger fish, but they can be difficult to catch, and the hatches upstream are less consistent.  The lowland rivers offer more sustained hatches, denser trout populations, and fewer anglers per fish.

Rainbow trout in Southland are restricted to the western lakes and large rivers like the Maroroa and Waiau systems.  Didymo is present in many rivers like the upper Mataura, upper Oreti, Mararoa, and Waiau, but hasn’t infiltrated Fiordland National Park.  All anglers should sterilize gear between watersheds.  See details on the Fish and Game website: www.fishandgame.org and at F&G offices.  Clean gear certificates are required to fish Fiordland National Park.

Southland has a developing salmon fishery, but because it is not as reliable as that in Northern Canterbury, special regulations apply.  The fish and game council has also lowered bag limits on the Oreti, Mataura, and several headwater streams to one fish per day.  Anglers may keep one salmon a day from the lower Waiau but must release salmon from above the Mararoa Weir, and the Mararoa itself is closed to salmon fishing.

REGULATIONS

Reference to Description: New Zealand Gazette, No. 83, 24 May 1990, page 1861

1. INTERPRETATIONS
See First Schedule.

2. OPEN SEASON, METHODS AND BAG LIMITS
Permitted Methods definition
F = Fly fishing only
FS = Fly or Spin fishing only
FSB = Fly, Spin or Bait fishing permitted
 

Rivers/Lakes

Open Season

Permitted Method

Bag Limit

Acton Stream

1 Oct—30 April

FSB

2

All rivers and lakes draining to the Tasman Sea and Foveaux Strait west of the Waiau River

 

All year

FS

4

All tributaries of the Aparima, Oreti and Mataura Rivers, not listed below

 

1 Oct—30 April

FSB

2

Aparima River and tributaries upstream of Hamilton Burn

 

1 Oct—30 April

FS

2

Aparima River, Hamilton Burn to Thornbury Bridge

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

4

Aparima River, Thornbury Bridge to sea

 

All year

FSB

4

Borland Burn

1 Oct—30 Apr

FS

2

Cromel Stream

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Eglinton River and tributaries

1 Nov—31 May

F

1

Hamilton Burn and tributaries upstream of Mossburn—Otautau Road

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FS

2

Hamilton Burn downstream of Mossburn—Otautau Road

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Irthing Stream

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Tributaries of Te Anau, Manapouri, Monowai, Hauroko, Hankinson except Eglinton, upper Waiau, and Mararoa Rivers

 

1 Nov—31 May

FS

2

Lake Fergus

1 Nov—31 May

FS

4

Lake Gunn

1 Nov—31 May

FS

4

Lake Hankinson

1 Nov—31 May

FS

4

Lake Hauroko

All year

FS

4

Lake Manapouri

All year

FS

4

Lake Mavora (North and South)

All year

FS

2

Lake Monowai

All year

FS

4

Lake Poteriteri

All year

FS

4

Lake Te Anau

All year

FS

4

Lake Thomas

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Lake Waituna and tributaries

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Lilburn

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Makarewa River upstream of Riverton—Invercargill Highway and all tributaries

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Makarewa River downstream of Riverton—Invercargill Highway

 

All year

FSB

4

Mararoa River upstream of The Key Bridge including upper Mararoa and tributaries

 

1 Oct—30 Apr 2

FSB

1

Mararoa River downstream of The Key Bridge

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

4

Mataura River and tributaries upstream of Humes’ Road Bridge, Garston

                     1 Oct—30 Apr                  FS             Fish less than 400 mm

1

Mataura River—Garston Bridge to Gore Bridge

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

4

Mataura River—Gore Bridge to the Gorge Road Bridge

1 Oct—31 May, excluding 1 and 2 May 2010

FSB

4

Mataura River Gorge Road Bridge to sea

 

All year

FSB

4

Mimihau River

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

4

Mokoreta River

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

4

Monowai River

1 Oct—30 Apr

FS

2

Orauea Stream and tributaries

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Ourawera Stream

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Oreti River and tributaries upstream of Rocky Point

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FS

1

Oreti River --Rocky Point to Invercargille Hwy

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FS

4

Oreti River—Invercargill Highway to sea

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

4

 

 

 

 

 

Otamita Stream

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Pourakino River and tributaries upstream of Waipango Bridge

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Pourakino River downstream of Waipango Bridge

 

All year

FSB

2

Taunamau Stream

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Titiroa Stream and tributaries upstream of The Locks 1

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Titiroa Stream downstream of The Locks

 

All year

FSB

2

Tokonui Stream

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Upukerora River

1 Nov—31 May

FS

2

Waiau River between Lakes Manapouri and Manapouri Lake Control Structure

 

1 Oct—31 May

FS

2

Waiau River—Manapouri Lake Control structure to Tuatepere

 

1 Oct—31 May

FSB

4

Waiau River—Tuatepere to sea

All year

FSB

4

Waiau River tributaries from the Mararoa Weir to the sea—except the Monowhai, Borland Burn, and Wairaki rivers

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                      1 Oct—30 April     FSB                2

 

Waihopai River upstream of Queens Drive

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Waihopai River downstream of Queens Drive

 

All year

FSB

2

Waikaia River

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

4

Waikaia River tributaries

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Waikawa River and tributaries Niagara Bridge upstream

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Waikawa River Niagara Bridge downstream

 

All year

FSB

2

Waikiwi Stream upstream of North Road Bridge

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Waikiwi Stream downstream of North Road Bridge

 

All year

FSB

2

Waimatuku Stream and tributaries

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Wairaki River and tributaries upstream of the transmission lines

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FS

1

Wairaki River between the transmission lines and Waiau

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FSB

2

Whitestone River upstream of Prospect Bridge

 

1 Nov—31 May

FS

2

Whitestone River between the Prospect Bridge and Hillside Rd Bridge

 

1 Oct—30 Apr

FS

1

 

3. CLOSED WATERS
3.1 No person shall take (includes attempt to take) sports fish from the following waters:
3.1.1  That portion of Lake Manapouri which lies with 100m of any part of the Real Journeys Company’s Tourist Centre, Pearl Harbour, Manapouri
3.1.2  That portion of Lake Te Anau that lies within 100m of any part of the wharf of the Real Journeys Company’s office in the township of Te Anau
3.1.3those portions of the Waiau River, Mararoa River and the Waiau Arm of Lake Manapouri that are within 100 m of the control gates on thhe Manapouri Lake Control Structure, also known as the Mararoa Weir.

3.2 No person shall take (or attempt to take) salmon from any river during the months of April and May.
3.3 No person shall take (or attempt to take) salmon from the Waiau River upstream of the Monowai Power Station, or from the Mararoa River.

AUTHORISED TACKLE
Refer First Schedule.

5.FLY FISHING ONLY WATERS
Refer Clause 2.

6. BAIT FISHING NOT PERMITTED
Refer to Clause 2

7. COARSE FISHING WATERS
None.
8. USE OF BOATS
8.1 No person shall fish from any motorised boat in Lake Thomas.
8.2 No person shall fish from any boat or any form of flotation device in:
The Eglinton River
The Mataura River upstream from the Mataura Island Bridge
The Oreti River upstream of the State Highway No 94 bridge just north of Lumsden
The Waikaia River

9. DAILY LIMIT BAGS
9.1 Subject to Clause 3.2, no person shall in any one day take, kill or be in possession of more than 1 salmon from any waters of the region.
9.2 With the exception of perch for which there is no limit, no person shall on any one day take, kill or be in possession of more than 4 sports fish.

10. FISH LENGTH
No restriction on all waters.