Where to Fish

Wherever you go in New Zealand, north or south, inland or near the coast, you are likely to be close to some pretty good trout fishing.

Rivers and lakes, even the small streams that meander through meadow and woodland are all likely to hold trout, usually good ones. Keen trout fishers rarely travel without a rod and reel packed in the car, there are so many opportunities to fish for trout.

You can stand idly on the river bank, wade deep into the fast flowing river or lake by the stream mouth, or you can fish atop the lake; trolling from your boat or perched in a float tube, pontoon boat or kayak.

The weather conditions rarely matter either – in fact rain is often believed to get the fish moving and feeding.

For more information about Fishing Locations and Access, select a region from the 'Regions' menu tab at the top right of this page. Then, use the interactive map on the region's homepage.

National Angling Survey report

For the 2007-08 National Angling Survey of anglers' usage of lakes and rivers managed by Fish & Game NZ click here.