North Canterbury > Fishing Regulations

Angling regulations are updated annually. Each region has specific regulations for individual rivers and lakes within the framework of national angling regulations.

Fish & Game New Zealand’s North Canterbury region offers much to the angler. Without a doubt the star attraction of the region is the sea-run salmon fishery. The Rakaia, Waimakariri, Hurunui and Waiau rivers offer excellent sea-run salmon fishing between November and March. The best time to plan a trip is during February when river flows tend to be stable, after the period of major snow melt in the Southern Alps. Most salmon are caught on heavy spinning tackle upriver or on specialised long distance casting tackle in the surf next to the river mouth. The salmon with an average size of around 8kg is one of the most highly sought-after sports fish in the country. In addition to the high profile salmon fishery, North Canterbury also offers great fishing for other species. More than thirty high country lakes offer landlocked salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, mackinaw and splake. The upper reaches of the braided rivers offer high quality brown and rainbow trout with very big fish in places. The lower reaches of the same rivers provide excellent sea-run trout fishing as well. Very large runs of fresh silver sea run brown trout converge on the tidal areas of the salmon rivers during the months of December and January in particular.

For more information on sports fishing in North Canterbury consult the fishing access guides/maps: Rakaia River, Waimakariri River, Hurunui and Waiau Rivers, The High Country lakes and Close to Christchurch. These are available from the North Canterbury office, from the North Canterbury Region page at the Fish & Game web site (www.fishandgame.org.nz) or from major sports shops in the region.

Major invasive algae Didymo is present in the Hurunui, Rakaia and Boyle Rivers. Please help us stop the spread of Didymo, whenever possible restrict use of fishing gear, boat, clothing, and other items for 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.govt.nz.

When fishing in the North Canterbury region, please ensure you are aware of and adhere to local regulations at all times.

2008/2009 regulations for North Canterbury

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

1. DEFINITIONS

The North Canterbury Fish and Game Region is divided into two zones:

“Eastern zone”: The area to the east of a line extending from a white post (on Double Hill Road visible from the river) on the south bank of the Rakaia River, to a white post on the north bank (near the Coleridge Power Station tailrace), to the confluence of the Staircase Stream and the Waimakariri River (above Woodstock), to the Oxford – Glentui Road Bridge on the Ashley River, to the junction of the Hurunui River with the South Branch, to the junction of the Waiau and Hope Rivers; and excluding Lake Rubicon.

“Western zone”: The area to the west of the Eastern zone plus Lake Rubicon.

2. OPEN SEASON

Except as closed under 3 or restricted elsewhere in the notice.

Notes to above table:

*See section 6 for further restrictions on bait fishing for sports fish.

**See section 8 for further restrictions of daily bag limits.

2.2 All lakes, rivers and streams in the Eastern zone not mentioned in 2:

1 October to 30 April All legal methods 2 trout, 2 salmon

2.3 All lakes in the Western zone not mentioned in 2:

1 November to 30 April Spinner, fly 2 trout

2.4 All tributaries of Western zone lakes not mentioned in 2:

1 December to 30 April Spinner, fly 2 trout

3. CLOSED WATERS

3.1 No licence holder shall fish for sports fish in the following waters:

Avon River between the Armagh and Barbadoes Streets bridges
Cass Hill Stream
Double Hill Stream
Double Hill Flat Streams
Glenariffe Stream
Hydra Waters
Lake Marion
Manuka Point Stream
St Annes Lagoon near Cheviot
The tailrace of the Highbank Power Station
Winding Creek
Within 100m of the outfall of any licensed fish farm

3.2 No licence holder shall fish for coarse fish in the following waters:

Clearwater Resort fishing lakes

Christchurch Groynes lakes

Ferrymead Park lakes

3.3 No licence holder shall fish for salmon in the following waters:

Hacketts Creek from 1 March to 30 April

Kowai River and its tributaries from 1 March to 30 April

Western zone rivers

3.2 No licence holder aged over 17 years as of 1 October 2008 shall fish in the Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes or Courtenay Lake.

See First Schedule.

Kaiapoi Lakes

Monopolies Pond

Rotokohatu Lake

6.1 A person may bait fish for trout in the Eastern zone between 1 October and 30 April only, except at:

6.1.1 Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes and Courtenay Lake where bait fishing is permitted all year.

6.1.2 Selwyn River upstream of State Highway 77 bridge where bait fishing is prohibited all year

6.2 Bait fishing for trout is prohibited in the Western zone.

6.3 Bait fishing for salmon is prohibited except in the:

6.3.1 Kaiapoi River between 1 October and 30 April

6.3.2 Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes all year

6.3.3 Courtenay Lake all year.

7.1 Fishing from boats which are being mechanically propelled (trolling) is permitted in:

All rivers
Lake Forsyth
Lake Coleridge
Lake Sumner
Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora)

7.2 Fishing from boats which are not being mechanically propelled is permitted in:

All rivers
All Eastern zone lakes
Lake Pearson
Lake Coleridge
Lake Selfe
Lake Evelyn
Lake Sumner
Lake Georgina
Lake Taylor
Lake Lyndon
Loch Katrine

8.1 No licence holder shall take, kill or be in possession of more than 1 tench from the Coarse Fishing Waters named in Section 5.

8.2 In addition to the daily limit bags described in Sections 2 and 8.1, no licence holder shall take, kill or be in possession of more than 4 sports fish.

9.1 Maximum length:

(a) Ashley River above the Oxford – Glentui Bridge 400mm

(b) Broken River and its tributaries (including Winding

Creek, Porter River and Slovens Creek) 400mm

(c) The Hurunui River above Lake Sumner 400mm

(d) The South Branch of the Hurunui River 400mm

(e) Tench in Coarse Fishing Waters 150mm

(f) Other waters No restriction

9.2 Minimum length No restriction

10.1 Western zone lakes which are open to fishing between 1 June – 31 August: 5.00am to 12.00 midnight only.

10.2 All other water No restriction

To see the latest regulations for all of the North Island (excluding Taupo where fishing is administered by DOC) and South Island, please download the PDFs below.