Arawhata River Trout Fishing

The Arawhata River is a large river and though it contains a moderate number of trout it is a difficult river to fish. It usually is quite discoloured with glacial silt and so is not recommended as worth the effort except in the lower reaches. (Note that Arawhata is sometimes spelt Arawata)

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Fish type	Brown trout with some sea-run fish in the lower tidal section.
Situation	The Arawata drains the Olivine Ranges and enters the sea just north of Jackson Bay approximately 25kms south of Haast.
Setting	The Arawhata is set in the south of the remote West Coast region. With the Southern Alps as a backdrop, this is a very picturesque river to fish.
Maps	Access map Access map with topography LINZ topographic maps: 1:50,000 (260 series)
Check conditions	View the MetService weather forecast for Hokitika.
F&G pamphlet	West Coast Sports Fisheries access pamphlet >>>
Description	The river runs a cross a wide and changing sand and gravel bed between wooded and well vegetated banks. The river is almost always coloured with a fine glacial silt making for poor visibility in the water. Best fished with a spinner or try using a large nymph along the slower and clearer water along the river margins in the lower reaches. Anglers who are willing and able to walk into the headwaters will find some classic fly fishing waters however.
Fish numbers and size	The Arawhata River contains a small number of brown trout throughout its length mostly in the 2-4lb range (though numbers will vary year by year depending on the state of the river during spawning times).
Ease of fishing	The Arawhata is a difficult river to fish successfully due to the volume of silt laden water that flows over the braided and largely unstable bed. It is also usually coloured a turquoise / azure blue though the very remote headwaters provide better fishing in clear boisterous water for those adventurous enough to walk in.
Access	Access is from the Jackson Bay road that joins State Highway 6 at the small township of Haast. See the Arawhata River access map.
Recommended lures	Nymphs: Larger dark patterns in the style of Hare and Copper, Pheasants Tails or Hare's Ear that have enough weight to get down to the fish are good in the lower reaches where the water carries a lot of colour. Smaller nymphs in sizes 12 - 14 work in the cleaner headwaters Dry flies: Fish bushier flies over the faster water as these can sometimes induce a fish to rise. It is not recommended as a dry fly river however. Wet flies: Larger wet flies such as Hamills Killer or Mrs Simpson in the lower reaches with small wets such as Greenwells Glory or Invicta in the headwaters. Try a whitebait imitation such as a Grey Ghost or Parsons's Glory at the mouth of the river or in the lower tidal section when the whitebait are running early in the season (Oct - Dec). Spinners: Bladed spinners (Veltic or Mepps) or a Black Toby or similar patterns fished through the deep pools or though the faster water. Use darker colours such as green and black. Spinners are best in the lower reaches and particularly in the tidal section as these can attract sea run trout or other fish such as Kahawai.
Regulations (1)
Applicable to	Arawhata River upstream of Haast/Jackson Bay Road
Region	West Coast >>>
Season	1 Oct-30 Apr
Methods	Artificial fly, spinner, bait
Bag limit	Total: 4 Rainbow trout: 2 Salmon: 1
Size limit (cm)	No limit
Regulations (2)
Applicable to	Arawhata River downstream of Haast/Jackson Bay Road
Region	West Coast >>>
Season	Trout: All year Salmon: 1 Oct-30 Apr
Methods	Artificial fly, spinner, bait
Bag limit	Brown trout: 4 Rainbow trout: 2 Salmon: 2
Size limit (cm)	No limit

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