Fishing Licences

Whether fishing independently or with a guide, you must have a licence to fish for trout, salmon and coarse fish in New Zealand and carry it with you when fishing.

• A Fish & Game licence covers all of New Zealand except the Taupo fishery area
• An additional back-country licence is required for a few specified rivers.
• A licence issued by the Department of Conservation (DOC) is required for the Taupo area.

These licences permit you to fish according to the current regulations for the region. The regional regulations define where, when and how you can fish specific waters. They also limit the number of fish you can take and the specify the mininum size of fish. For details, see the sportsfishing regulations. A few rivers also require a special back-country on controlled fishing licence.

In addition:

• Fishing guides who take clients into an area managed by DOC must have a concession for the conservancy or else be covered by the NZPFGA bulk concession.
• Helicopter operators who land in an area managed by DOC must have a DOC concession to do so.

Holding a DOC concession is the responsibility of the guide or operator; they alone risk prosecution if operating a commerical activity without one. Read more about concessions at the DOC website. DOC also provides a map of conservation land.

A full year licence is valid from 1 October and expires at the end of September.

This licence is available to all whole season and family licence holders. It can be obtained from licence agencies or the Fish & Game office at no extra cost. For more details and to apply online, see the information at the Southland Fish & Game website.

Where to buy a Fish & Game licence

You can buy a Fish & Game licence:

• online via the Fish and Game website
• from a local licence agent which includes most fishing and sports shops and some service stations, bookshops and general stores.
• at any local Fish & Game office

Online licenses

1. If you are renewing your licence, have your existing licence handy.

2. Go to the Fish and Game website.

3. Click the red and orange button, and enter your details.

4. Pay by credit card.

Your licence will be posted to you anywhere in New Zealand within 3 days but you can use it straight away (provided the season has started).

Back-country licences

Because of high use, a back country licence, at no extra cost, is also required for:

• the Caples River in the Otago region
• the Greenstone River in the Otago region
• the Upper Oreti River in the Southland region

See Back Country Licences for details.

The Taupo fishery area is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and a special licence is required to fish in the Taupo region. A map showing the boundaries of the Taupo fishing region is displayed on the DOC website.

A full year licence is valid from 1 July and expires at the end of June.

Types of licence

You can choose to purchase an adult or a child licence that allows you to fish Taupo for either 24 hours, one week or a full year (subject to the regulations). A full year licence is valid from 1 July and expires at the end of June. The cost of all Taupo licences is available at the Department of Conservation website.

Where to obtain a Taupo licence

Taupo fishing licences can be obtained from licence agents in many North Island New Zealand towns and cities. A full list of Taupo licence agents is available at the Department of Conservation website.