Okuru River Trout Fishing

Brown trout with sea run trout in the tidal area and estuary. There are good numbers of trout with many reaching very impressive sizes of up to 8lbs or more.

In the upper reaches, brown trout average 2kg.

Access map
Access map with topography

LINZ topographic map: (260 Map Series, 1:50,000)

F37 Haast

The Okuru is a remote back-country river offering excellent fishing to those who visit this area. The lower reaches have some large resident fish but the numbers of these large fish rises dramatically when the whitebait enter the river estuary from around 0ctober to December each year. (Note that this can also reduce the number of large fish in the upper reaches during this period.)

The river is rain fed and in the upper reaches is mostly gin clear running over a stone and gravel bed througha beautiful bush covered valley - a real treasure that should be repspected by all anglers fishing this river.

The lower reaches provide easy fishing for the angler as the river flows over farmland and open terrain. In the tidal area when the whitebait are running many fish will migrate downstream to feed on the feast that these small fish offer. Excellent fishing can be had at this time. Many areas above this section are hard to negotiate through the dense bush and rugged terrain however.

The upper reaches, while reasonably easy to fish, require a considerable tramp in unless flying in by helicopter. The upper reaches offer good night fishing in clear mountain water and there is good water upstream from Franklin Hut until the river reaches the bush.

The lower reaches can be accessed from the Haast Junction to Jackson Bay Road where several small side roads give the angler access to a reasonable section of the lower reaches.

The middle and upper reaches need to be walked into unless using a helicopter. It's a full day's tramp from the road to Franklin Hut.

Nymphs: Small nymphs such as Hare and Copper, Pheasant Tail and Caddis imitations all work well in sizes 14 or smaller.

Dry flies: Small flies such as Royal Wulff, Hardies Favourite, Dad's Favourite and March Brown all work well at all times of the day. Fish bushier flies such as Coch-y-Bondhu and Humpy over the faster water.

Wet flies: Small wets like Greenwell's Glory, March Brown and emerger Sedge patterns work well when fished sub-surface. These flies are particularly effective when fishing the evening rise. Large flies such as  a Parson's Glory or Grey Ghost are excellent when the trout are chasing the whitebait in the lower reaches and estuary. Use large dark patterns such as a Hairy Dog or Scotch Poacher during the night.

Spinners: Small bladed spinners (Mepps or Veltic) fished upstream into the faster water or through the deep pools. Spinners such as a Gold or Silver Toby also work well in the lower reaches when the whitebait are running.

Trout: All year

Salmon: 1 Oct-30 Apr