Rotorua Lakes off to Bumper Start!

What a start to the new season!

Trout Season 2022 is now fully underway in the Eastern Fish and Game region with some great looking fish. Since opening day, we’ve been able to analyse the data that was gathered from our Lake Tarawera, Okatina, and Rotoiti angler surveys.

Above; Ohau Channel rainbow

Weather played a major factor in our data collection, as there weren’t as many anglers as we have seen in previous years. Although it rained all day, the fish didn’t stop biting and it turned into a successful opening day for many happy anglers.

Here is a brief rundown on the data that has been collected from the staff at Eastern Fish & Game, we hope it correlates with your successes and future successes over the 2022 season.

Tarawera produced some stunning fish, with the hatchery 2 year old spring release fish both longer (by 15mm) and heavier (by 210g) than those measured last opening. The largest fish measured on the day was a 600mm, 3.2kg 3 year old hatchery release which was impressive considering it had probably spawned during the winter and was in recovery mode.

Okataina fishing pressure was down this opening, and the 2 year old fish were the same condition factor as last season, although lighter by 112g. A 600mm, 3.9kg 3 year old hatchery (Rp fin clip) was the heaviest weighed on the day.

Rotoiti produced 2 year old hatchery releases that were 7mm longer, but 100g lighter than last year (so of slightly lower condition factor) than last opening – but to put that into perspective, last year’s fish were exceptional. A 700mm 4.1kg, 3 year old rainbow took the heaviest fish weighed by Fish & Game for the day.