Lake Ellesmere Fishing

Access map
Access map with topography

LINZ topographic map: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000)
M36/M37 Lincoln

Rainfall

View a graph of the current rainfall near Lake Ellesmere at Kaituna at the Environment Canterbury website

Water level

For information on the level of Lake Ellesmere, phone 083 225 522, then press 6. Calls cost 12 cents per minute. This information is updated weekly.

Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) is a large shallow lake (the fourth largest in New Zealand at 20,000 hectares) recognised as a valuable wildlife resource with abundant native bird life.  However the fishery experienced a huge decline in trout numbers, due in part to the ongoing effects of the damaged reed beds in the 1968 Wahine storm, from more than 14,000 trout at that time to just 89 in 2004.

The tributaries of Ellesmere fish better than the lake itself and good fishing for sea run trout can occur at Taumutu when the lake is open to the sea.

The lake is a busy place for all kinds of water sports from sailing to jet skiing, so don’t expect tranquil angling here.

Access to the lake and its south-western tributaries is from Lincoln, then south towards Leeston. Take the access track which leads off Gullivers Road and out into the beach.

The Akaroa Highway takes you to the north-eastern tributaries.

Lightweight flyfishing tackle.

Fish on floating or slow-sinking lines.

Spinning rods capable of casting a 7 - 10 gram weight lure.

Bait: Worms, freshwater shrimp or live cockabullies (for trout only)

Spinners: Tobys, Tasmanian Devil, small Ticer