New Zealand Coarse Fishing

Location: The only public coarse fishing water in the Northland region is the Waitangi River and its tributaries.

Season: The open season is Oct 1-Jun 30.

Limits: There is no size or bag limit for perch or tench.

Methods: Bait fishing is permitted only when fishing for tench in the Waitangi river.

Location: Coarse fishing is present in most lakes north of Hamilton, including Lake Pupuke and Hamilton Lake. This is the only region where you can fish for rudd as well as tench and perch.

The following are designated as coarse fishing waters:

• All lakes and ponds except the Mangatangi Reservoir and the Mangatawhiri Reservoir.
• Mangatawhiri River from the bridge on SH2 to its confluence with the Waikato River
• Whangamarino River

Season: Most rivers are closed from during July, August and September, though all lakes and sections of some rivers are open all year. Please check the Auckland/Waikato Regulations for the river or lake you plan to fish.

Bag limit: You must not kill more than 5 tench in a day. There is no limit for perch or rudd.

Methods: You may only use one rod or line at a time when you are fishing for perch, tench or rudd, but you can have any number of rods and running lines assembled.

A roach pole may be used to fish for perch, tench and rudd.

Defined locations: There are no defined coarse fishing rivers in the Eastern region.

Season: Open during the open season for each fishing water. Please see the Eastern region regulations.

Two species of coarse fish are found in Lake Taupo:

• Brown bullhead catfish which can be caught on hook and line or with fyke nets
• Common goldfish which locals occasionally fish for with hand nets

Catfishing

There are no gear restrictions for catfishing, except that destructive methods such as  gill nets may not be used. Licences are not required. Catfish are occasionally caught by river mouth and lake shore flyfishers and very rarely by trolling. If trout are caught by a catfisher using gear not permitted for trout fishing (e.g. bait, handlines, setlines or fyke nets) they must be immediately released unharmed. The onus is on a person using these methods to show that they are fishing for catfish and not trout.

It is illegal to transfer any fish from one location to another without permits under the Conservation and Fisheries Acts and DOC strongly recommends that anyone catching catfish kill them at the site of capture. They are very hardy and will survive many hours out of water.

Defined locations: There are no defined coarse fishing rivers.

Season: Open during the open season for each fishing water. Please see the Hawke's Bay regulations.

Defined Locations: There are no defined coarse fishing waters in the Taranaki region.

Other locations: Lakes Cowley, Ngangana, Rotomanu, Ratapiko, Rotorangi, Wiritoa, Pauri and Kohata all have perch fishing. In these lakes you cannot use a rod with a fixed line, and there are restrictions on the type and number of baits and on the use of preparations to attract fish.

Season:   Open during the open season for each fishing water. Please see the Taranaki regulations.

Bag limit: There is no limit on the number of perch killed by a licence holder.

Defined locations and season: The defined coarse fishing waters in the Wellington region are:

Locations: None.

Fishing for coarse fish in all waters in the Nelson/Marlborough region is illegal. This prohibition includes perch, tench, koi carp and gambusia.

Defined locations: The defined coarse fishing waters in the North Canterbury region are:
- the Kaiapoi Lakes
- Rotokahatau Lake
- Monopolies Pond

Season: These waters are open all year.

Bag limits: A daily bag limit of 4 sportsfish applies.
You may take only:
- 1 tench and it must be less than 150 mm in length.

- 2 trout

Defined locations: The defined coarse fishing waters in the Central South Island region are:
- Saltwater Creek
- Centennial Park Lake (Timaru)

Season: Both Saltwater Creek and Centennial Park Lake are open all year.

Bag limit: A daily bag limit of 4 sportfish applies in these locations. Of these, nor more than 2 may be salmon and no more than 2 may be trout.