Lake Pupuke Trout Fishing

Lake Pupuke is regularly stocked with rainbow and brown trout as well as holding a reasonable population of perch, tench, rudd, catfish and gold fish. Trout average around 1 kg.

In 2007-2008, Fish and Game released about 3000, two-year-old trout into Pupuke.

LINZ topographic maps: 1:50,000 (260 series)

Lake Pupuke is a deep lake having been formed from a volcanic crater. The water is very clean despite being surrounded by a city. It is popular for a large range of watersports though a North Shore City Bylaw prohibits motorboats.

It tends to fish best during the cooler months from around early May until late October.

Trout Unlimited (TUNZ) runs a popular one-day fishing competition in Lake Pupuke in May each year. There is no entry fee but lots of prizes.

One of the motivations behind the competition is to get indications of survival rates and growth rates of the trout released by Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game.

The best access is at the end of Northcote Road and from Sylvan, Henderson and Killarney Parks.

As many private gardens go down to the lake edge, shoreline fishing is reasonably limited. Those with any form of self-propelled boat such as eight kayak or row boat will find plenty of opportunity.

Popular fishing locations include:
- Sylvan Park, Milford
- at the Quarry at the end of Northcote Road
- around the back of the North Shore Hospital.

Spoinning: When spinning, tackle that is capable of casting seven to 10 g lures is preferred.

Nymphing: Those wishing to fish with the nymph will need a floating line and a leader long enough to keep the fly just above the weed beds.

Harling: Harling is best done with a slow sinking line and a reasonably long leader.

Dry flies: Lake Pupuke is not known for a dry fly rise though late on a summer's evening trout are attracted to terrestrial insects that are blown onto the lake. These can include cicadas, beetles ,and in late summer, lace flies.

Nymphs: Small stoneflies and damsel fly nymphs fish slowly along weed beds.

Wet flies: During the day harling with a large bully patterns such as a Mrs Simpson or Kilwell's No 1 and at night with dark patterns such as Scotch Poacher or Black Marabou pattern is effective.

Spinners: A large number of spinners are effective due to the variety of food sources available to the fish. Toby patterns, Rapalas, Mepps and Veltics are all effective at times.