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Lake Brunner
Lake Paerua
Lake Haupiri
Lake Mapourika
Lake Paringa
Lake Mahinapua
Lake Ianthe
Lake Moeraki
Lake Brunner
Located 25km from Greymouth. Follow SH7 to Stillwater then turn off on to the Arnold Valley Rd to Moana. Lake Brunner contains brown trout averaging 1.1kgs and is the most popular angling water in the region.
Access: Foot access is available over the Arnold River foot bridge at Moana village.
To reach Iveagh Bay continue past Moana and turn off onto Cashmere Bay Rd. This leads to the lake edge. Various access points are available at Mitchells, a 38km drive from Moana to the South end of the Lake. Foot access is available to Carew Bay and Bain Bay via track, starting at boat ramp.
Boat launching facilities are available at Moana, Iveagh Bay and Mitchells.
Methods: Successful trolling can be had along the margins of Lake Brunner, mainly from the foot of Te Kinga Hill through to Clematis Bay. Trolling near the outlet during summer is popular. Fly fishing from shore at the lake outlet during early morning or late evening or at the mouth of Crooked and Hohonu Rivers during the day for cruising fish works well. Fly fishing from boat over the shallow weed beds between Orangipuku and Te Kinga is recommended. The best spinning is at the lake outlet or along the western shore where the water is a little deeper.
Lake Poerua
Access: There is only one access point for the launching of small boats. Foot access is available to the right of the boat ramp along the lake edge.
Methods: Trolling and harling is successful over most of the lake. Fly fishing is productive, but a boat is a definite advantage. Popular locations are near the narrow neck halfway down the lake and around shallow margins.
Lake Haupiri
Haupiri contains brown trout and is located 42km from Greymouth. Follow SH7 to Ngahere, turn right onto Nelson Creek Rd.
Access: Foot access is limited by a forested margin and a boat is recommended. Launching ramp is located towards the eastern end of the lake.
Methods: Fly fishing off the mouths of the few small feeder streams located on the southern side of the lake is the most successful, followed by general trolling.
Lake Mapourika
Access: A boat ramp is located at Jetty Bay. Foot acccess is limited to McDonalds Creek mouth and off SH6 at various obvious points. Please note that McDonalds creek is closed to angling year-round.
Methods: In calm conditions (generally early morning and evening) large brown trout are easily spotted cruising lake margins. Spinning for cruising browns can be successful but wet fly fishing is best. Deep water trolling is most productive for salmon along the western fringe south of the lake near the outlet, off the entrance to Jetty Bay where the main boat ramp is located, or off the roadside edge from Jetty Bay to the mouth of Redjacks Creek. Popular sites are off the mouth of McDonalds Creek and by boat, in areas referred to above. Because most fish are hooked close to the bottom, a slow retrieve is recommended. Refer to regulations for season details.
Lake Paringa
Adjacent to SH6 south of Fox Glacier. Paringa is well stocked with 1 to 2kg brown trout. The lake resident salmon population is smaller than in Mapourika, but sea-run salmon appear from January on.
Access: Boat ramp at Jamie Creek camping area. Foot access is limited to the area around from the mouth of Jamie Creek.
Methods: The shallow margins suit wet fly fishing (#6-8 Mrs Simpson or similar) or light lures for spinning. Small bullies are the primary food source although trout will take an unweighted nymph and often rise freely to a large dry fly. Salmon are mostly taken off the mouth of the Windbag Stream. Lead line is generally used to reach sea-run fish down deep. For salmon white or silver lures are recommended or black/green and gold when the water is discoloured.
Lake Mahinapua
Turn off SH6 at Mahinapua Hotel 12km south of Hokitika. Perch up to 1kg abound in the lake and outlet creek providing excellent angling for kids. Brown trout are present but are seldom caught before hooking a perch.
Access: Boat launching available at Shanghai Bay. Foot access is limited to the foreshore at the bay or part way around the Lake Mahinapua Walkway.
Methods: A boat is necessary to fish the lake successfully. Soft bait jigging or bright spinners work best for perch. Fishing from the shore is limited to the jetty and a small beach behind the Girl Guides Hall. The weedy margins make shore angling difficult, but good fishing on deep side of weed beds.
Lake Ianthe
Lake Ianthe is south of Ross on SH6 near Pukekura and is an excellent brown trout fishery. This lake produces beautifully marked fish up to 2.5 kg.
Access: A boat ramp is available off SH6 at southern end of the lake. A forested margin generally prevents foot access.
Methods: Prolific weed beds make deep trolling difficult near the edges, but harling with a feathered lure is a popular method. The deeper water is suitable for trolling a spinning lure with light nylon. Fly casting to cruising fish under the bush fringed margin is a good method in suitable conditions. Watch for subtle rises near the weed beds and fish an unweighted nymph, otherwise bully imitation fished wet.
Lake Moeraki
As with Paringa a boat is useful, but lake-edge fishing is available at various points adjacent to S/H6 and, in low conditions, around the Northern margin. Good fishing for cruising browns with wet (bully) imitation most successful.