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Orangipuku River

Lake Brunner Trout Fishing

Lake Brunner is a popular and very scenic fishery that has a good head of brown and a small number of rainbow trout that can be caught by a variety of methods.

Fish type	Mostly brown trout with some rainbow trout
Situation	25kms from Greymouth.
Setting	Lake Brunner is approximately 25kms from Greymouth. It is fed by a number of small rivers and streams all of which offer excellent fishing opportunites where they enter the lake. It is drained by the impressive Lake Arnold. At the northern tip is the small settlement of Moana which consists mostly of holiday homes (though over the years the numbers of permanent residents has risen). Most of the lake is only able to be reached by boat though some areas can be walked to especially when the lake is low in mid to late summer.
Maps	Access map Access map with topography LINZ topographic map: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000) K32 Lake Brunner
F&G pamphlet	West Coast Sports Fisheries access pamphlet >>>
Description	Lake Brunner is a wonderful lake to fish. Although it is deep, fish rise freely across the whole lake and there can be spectacular evening rises particularly where rivers or streams enter the lake. Mostly the lake is surrounded by native bush which provides an endless supply of terrestrial food for the fish. There is a boat ramp at Moana. While trolling is the main method of fishing, casting either a spinner or fly from a boat or the shore also works well.
Fish numbers and size	The lake holds very good numbers of brown trout and limited numbers of rainbows. Sizes are mostly in the 2-4lb range though it dopes hold much bigger fish as well.
Ease of fishing	As most fish are caugh by trolling, fishing is very easy. The shore-based angler has plenty of opportunities for both spin and fly fishing, especially when the lake is low and access to many points opens up.
Access	Access is via the Arnold Valley road which turns off State Highway 7 at Stillwater which takes you to the township of Moana at the northern end of the lake. The Kumara - Inchbonnie road give access to the southern section around Swan Bay. A small road also leads to Cashmere Bay on the eastern side of the Lake. See the Lake Brunner access map.
Recommended lures	Nymphs: Suspended nymphs that are just below the surface work well during the evening when fish are crusising the shallows. Fish will also take nymphs of the Hare and Copper or Pheasant Tail variant which can be cast in front of a cruising trout's path and twitched as they get close. Dry flies: The fish are often feeding on windblown terrestrial flies and so flies such as a Green Beetle in early summer and cicada patterns from mid summer on work well. Wasp patterns can also work well in the summer months. Otherwise try an Adams, Greenwell's Glory, Humpy or similar pattern. Wet flies: Large sunk flies such as a Hairy Dog, Mrs Simpson, Hamill's Killer or Fuzzy Wuzzy fished deep can induce a take especially on a dark night or near a stream mouth. Spinners: As trolling is the major form of fishing, Cobras, Tasmanian Devils and Tobys all work well when troled at depth.
Tributaries	Several important rivers feed into Lake Brunner. These include the Crooked River, the Orangipuku River and Bruce Creek. The Arnold River drains from the lake into the Grey River.
Regulations
Applicable to	Lake Brunner
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

Brent Beadle Trout Fishing Safaris

Brian Hoy - Westland Guiding

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