Lake Ototoa Trout Fishing

Access map

Access map with topography

LINZ topographic map: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000)
Q09 Kaipara
Q10 Helensville

Lake Ototoa is a large, deep, sand-dune lake with very clear water. It offers fishing for all fishing methods and is popular with both experienced and novice anglers. It is a very popular winter fishery as the trout tend to come in closer to the shore during the cooler months. Over summer the trout go deep and the best fishing is done with a boat.

No motorboats are allowed on the lake and the strong wind that can blow down the lake can make rowing a boat very difficult at times. There is a good car park and a track that leads down to the lake. The western shore is only accessible by boat though there is plenty of fishing easily accessible to the shoreline angler along the southern and eastern shoreline.

All the trout are introduced as there is no natural spawning areas for them and each year several hundred fish are released into the water by Fish and Game.

Lake Ototoa can be reached from Helenville (northwest of Auckland) along South Head Road. Access to the lake is from Donohue Road which turns off South Head Road.

See the Lake Ototoa access map.

Most anglers find fishing Lake Ototoa best using a sinking line and fishing over the lip and bringing a lure up the steep drop-off. There is also very good harling along the shoreline. Jigging has also become popular over the past few seasons. At times the fish can be seen feeding just subsurface (take your Polaroids) and there is often a good evening rise.

Most shoreline anglers prefer to cast over the steep drop-off that surrounds the lake and retrieve the lure up towards the lip. Many fish seem to follow the lure and take just as it comes across the lip into the shallow water. Spin fishing is also productive as many of the fish feed on an introduced small bait fish (inanga which is a small species of whitebait).

Nymphs: Large weighted Pheasant Tail, Halfbacks and Hare and Copper nymphs fished with a floating line over the drop-off.

Dry flies: Lake Ototoa is not noted as a dry fly fishery but fish will feed on any terrestrial insect that is blown onto the lake. Therefore, during the summer cicadas, cricket patterns and green beetle can all be effective.

Wet flies / Streamers: Bully patterns such as Mrs Simpson and Hamill's Killer, Grey Ghost and Parsons' Glory or any pattern that represents the small inanga or smelt. Also try any Koura (freshwater crayfish) pattern such as a Red Setter.

Spinners: Any Toby pattern (but particularly black and gold or silver), Zed Spinners, rapalas or any other pattern that represents a small fish.