Rakaia River Fishing

Upper Rakaia River maps

Access map

Access map with topography

Lower Rakaia River maps

Access map

Access map with topography

LINZ topographic map: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000)
L36 Rakaia
K36 Methven
K35 Coleridge

River flow

Salmon fishing in the Rakaia is most productive when the river flow falls to less than 180 cumecs immediately after a fresh.

View a graph of the current Rakaia river flow at the Environment Canterbury website

River and flood phone and text info

Phone: For river flow and rainfall info, phone 083 225 522, then press 2, then 2. Calls cost 12 cents per minute.

Text: For river level and river flow info, text RV RAKA to 3226. The cost to have the text message sent to you is 30 cents.

Access pamphlet

Rakaia River access pamphlet

River report

Fish & Game river report: Phone 03-366 2986 (1 Oct-30 April).

Trout health study

You can assist the trout health monitoring programme by:

• Recording precise measurements of each fish length and weight, date and the location on the river where the fish was caught.  Please use the form at the Fish & Game website to record the fish details.
• Sending or dropping off the fish head(s) to the F&G office at 3 Horatio Street, Christchurch.

The Rakaia is a large braided snow-fed river with an unstable shingle bed. It is glacier feed meaningnthat the river usually has some colour in it from the silt it carries (this is particularly true during the spring melt). It is liable to flooding at any time of the year and often, after a flood, will have changed its course.

It features good runs of salmon from November to March and has a good resident population of trout. Trout fishing is best in the many tributaries however where large fish can be stalked in small clear waters or by chasing the good population of sea-run trout in the lower reaches.

Above SH77

Description

The salmon fishing in the upper reaches is best between January and March. There is a good open section of the river to fish with several Fish and Game signposted areas showing angler access points.

Trout fishing is good, especially in the pools and more stable reaches.

Fish numbers and size

Good populations of river resident trout. The salmon in the uppper reaches may not be in top condition.

Access

A boat is needed to fish the gorge. Ten kilometres beyond the gorge, the river opens up and there is good access, particularly from Double Hill Run Road.

See the upper Rakaia access map and see points 1-5 in the list of access points.

SH1 to SH77

Description

Salmon will often slow down and rest in sections of this part of the river. Anglers need to move however looking for fish as they so anglers need to keep on the move after fishing a pool through a couple of times. Jet boats, drift boats and ATVs are popular.

Fish numbers and size

Good populations of river resident trout.

Access

The most popular access points are from the SH1 bridge and the SH72 bridge, both for foot anglers and for launching boats. Smaller access tracks lead off roads running up either side of the river: Rakaia Terrace and the Rakaia-Methven Road.

Good water can usually be found from Lowers Cutting, Sleemans Road, Steels Road and Te Pirita Road.

See the lower Rakaia access map and the list of access points.

From the mouth to SH1

Description

The lower reaches are the most popular for anglers and fish best in December and January, though fish continue to run until the end of March.

Salmon fishing is best after a flood in the first days that the river is clear. As the fish move through quickly, its best to wait for the fish once you've found a good stretch of water.

Fish numbers and size

Good numbers of sea run trout

Access

Access to the lower reaches is best on the south side, from various tracks leading off Acton Road, such as Dobbins Ford, Griggs Road and Maginisses.

See the lower Rakaia access map and the list of access points.

All three areas – the surf, gut and tidal lagoon - are prime fishing areas with the mouth and lagoon being popular for both salmon and trout.

Salmon

Mid January to mid March are the best months for salmon at the mouth. Surf salmon fishing is variable; the best time to try is when the sea is calm and clear. Try fishing the gut mid way through an incoming tide on a slow current.

Trout

November to February are the months for sea run trout fishing, especially after a fresh when the river is discoloured. The best time is the last hour of daylight, especially after a warm day. The trout feed on smelt in shallow fast-flowing riffles, so toward low tide when the flow is greater is ideal.

Access

Access at the mouth and lagoon is through the hut settlements on either side of the river. The mouth is highly mobile; it can be anything from one to four kilometres from the end of the road. A boat or ATV are very useful.

See the lower Rakaia access map and the list of access points.

In the fast-flowing Rakaia, spinning is most effective when you are in pursuit of salmon.

At the river mouth or up river: In most situations, use:
- a medium/heavy actioned rod, 2-2.5m in length
- a fixed or free spool reel capable of holding 200m of 7-10kg line
- in the river, use a Zed spinner or Colarado Spoon

Fish the spinner along the bottom in pools that have slow water adjacent or near the main flow.

Surf casting: Fish midway in the water column using:
- a long rod

- a high speed reel
- a heavy lure designed for long distance casting, such as the ticer or slice, or a Zed spninner in weights up to 40 grams.

Sea run brown trout

Use either:
- a heavy fly rod and fast sinking line, or
- a lure rod, monofilament line and lead sinker, and
- streamer flies that resemble smelt such as Parsons' Glory, Hopes Silvery, or Yellow Rabbit in sizes 2-6.

Up river trout

Blind fishing with either fly or spinner works well. In the headwaters, use heavily weighted nymphs.

Nymphs: Hare and Copper, Green Stonefly, Halfback, Pheasant Tail, Black Nymph

Dry flies: As there are few insect hatches and little surface activity this is not a known dry fly river. In late summer in the upper reaches it may be worthwhil trying a Green Beetle, Cicada or Hopper

Streamers: Hamill's Killer, Mrs Simpson , Parson's Glory, Hopes Silvery, Yellow Rabbit, Woolly Bugger or at night a Black Marabou or Black Fuzzy-Wuzzy

Spinners: Use Zed spinner, Colarado Spoon, Tasmanian Devil or Black Toby

The Rakaia high country lakes are:
- Lake Coleridge
- Lake Evelyn
- Lake Selfe
- Lake Henrietta
- Lake Ida and Little Ida
- Lake Catherine, also known as Lake Monck
- Lake Lilian
- Lake Georgina
- Lake Lyndon
- Lake Rubicon