Waikawa River

Access map
Access map with topography

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

• View MetService weather forecast for Invercargill.
• View river level, rainfall and river flow details and graphs at the Environment Southland website.

The Waikawa has long stable pools and shallow ripply runs where fly casting is possible from some strretches of open farmland. In other sections, the banks are lined with bush and scrub. Fish cannot be sighted due to the colouration of the water.

Below the falls on Wyndham Road, the stream is tidal.

Nymphs: Small lightly weighted or un-weighted nymphs such as a Pheasant Tail and stonefly patterns.

Dry flies: Small mayfly patterns such as a Blue Dun, Kakahi Queen or Twilight Beauty. In the summer when the Cicadas are chirruping, a large cicada pattern can prove irrestible particularly to the rainbow trout. Also try a blowfly during warm still days or a Daddy-Long-Legs (Crane fly) in the evening.

Wet flies: Soft hackled flies such as a Gosling worked across the faster water and through the riffles. Emerger patterns are also good on this water either fished as wee-wets or cast just ahead of a trout rising in the evening and left to float downstream rather like a dry-fly.

Spinners: Small bladed spinners such as a veltic or Mepps.