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Mangawhero River Fishing

The Mangawhero River is a good brown trout fishery in its lower and middle reaches.

 

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Fish type A good stock of brown trout of 1.5kg are regularly caught.
Situation The Mangawhero River rises on the southern sloper of Mount Ruapehu in the Tongariro Nationall Park. It flows south through Ohakune to join the Whangaehu River near Kauangaroa after 70km.
Maps

Upper Mangawhero River maps

Access map
Access map with topography

Lower Mangawhero River maps

Access map
Access map with topography

LINZ topographic map: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000)
S21 Kakatahi
S20 Ohakune

F&G pamphlet Whanganui (Wanganui) Sports access pamphlet >>>
Check conditions

River flow, level and rainfall

View graphs at the Horizons Regional Council website.

Weather forecast

View the MetService weather forecast for Wanganui.

Upper reaches

Within the national park, the river is a small, overgrown and swift flowing and not really worth fishing

Access

Access is from the Turoa Skifield road in the Tongariro National Park. See the upper Mangawhero access map.

Middle reaches

Below Ohakune the river winds across farmland for 10 km before entering a gorge. In this section there are pools, riffles and willows growing on the banks, Fish are difficult to spot in the brownish water but blind fishing with dry flies and nymphs is reasonably easy.

Access

Access to the middle reaches is from either Ohakune township, Pakihi Road, SH49, or Old Mangarewa Road.  See the upper Mangawhero access map.

Lower reaches

The best fishing in the lower reaches is from half a metre above the spectacular Raukawa Waterfall at Kakatahi for 10km upstream where the river emerges from a gorge. The river bottom consists of mudstone shelves interspersed with rocks and silt. Spinning is the preferred method above and below the falls but its worth trying a large attractor dry fly as well.

Access

From Wanganui, drive up the Parapara highway (State Highway 4) towards Kakatahi and the Raukawa Waterfall (about a 45 minute drive). The fishery begins half a metre above the waterfall.

See the lower Mangawhero access map.

Recommended lures

Nymphs: Hare and Copper, Pheasant Tail

Dry fly: Large attractor dry flies

Spinners: Toby and Veltic spinners in various colours.

Mangawhero Stream The Mangawhero Stream, which is a tributary of the Kaupokonui River  on the Taranaki ringplan, is unrelated to the Mangawhero River.
Regulations (1)
Applicable to Mangawhero River, upstream of SH49 "golf course" Bridge
Region Taranaki region regulations
Season 1 Oct-30 Apr
Methods Artificial fly, spinner, bait
Bag limit Trout: 4
Size limit (cm) None
Regulations (2)
Applicable to Mangawhero River, downstream of SH49"golf course" Bridge
Region Taranaki region regulations
Season 1 Oct-30 Sept
Methods Artificial fly, spinner, bait
Bag limit Trout: 4
Size limit (cm) None

 

The River Lodge, Ohakune

The River Lodge

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