Angling regulations are updated annually. Each region has specific regulations for individual rivers and lakes within the framework of national angling regulations.
For more information on sports fishing in North Canterbury consult the fishing access guides/maps: Rakaia River, Waimakariri River, Hurunui and Waiau Rivers, The High Country lakes and Close to Christchurch. These are available from the North Canterbury office, from this website (or from major sports shops in the region.
Didymo is now present in a number of our rivers. Please help us stop the spread of Didymo, whenever possible restrict use of fishing gear, boat, clothing, and other items for exclusive use in a single waterway. Please observe and respect our “Closed Waters” areas, to prevent Didymo infestation of critically important salmon spawning habitats. If you move gear between waterways you must CHECK, CLEAN, DRY. For more information on Didymo visit www.biosecurity.govt.nz.
Reference to Description: New ZealandGazette, No. 83, 24 May 1990, page 1861
1 DEFINITIONS
The North Canterbury Fish and Game Region is divided into two zones:
“Eastern Zone”: The area to the east of a line extending from a white post (on Double Hill Road visible from the river) on the south bank of the Rakaia River, to a white post on the north bank (near the Coleridge Power Station tailrace), to the confluence of the Staircase Stream and the Waimakariri River (above Woodstock), to the Ashley Gorge Road Bridge on the Ashley River, to the junction of the Hurunui River with the South Branch, to the junction of the Waiau and Hope Rivers; and excluding Lake Rubicon.
“Western Zone”: The area to the west of the eastern zone plus Lake Rubicon.
1 OPEN SEASON
Except as closed under 3 or restricted elsewhere in the notice.
| Rivers / Lake | Season | Permitted Method | Trout Limit | Salmon Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Ashley River, above Ashley Gorge Road Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Ashley River, below Ashley Gorge Road Bridge | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Avon River | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Boyle River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Broken River | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Cam River, above the State Highway 1 Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Cam River, below the State Highway 1 Bridge | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Cass Hill Stream (Bullock Creek) | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 | |
| Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Coleridge Tailrace | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 | |
| Coleridge, Lake | Spinner/fly | 2** | 4** | |
| Cora Lynn Stream | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Courtenay, Lake | All year | All legal methods | 2 | 2 |
| Cust River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 0 |
| Double Hill Stream and Double Hill Flat Stream | 1 Oct – 29 Feb | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Doubtful River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Ellesmere, Lake | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Esk River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Evelyn, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Forsyth, Lake | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Georgina, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Glenariffe Stream | 1 Oct – 29 Feb | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Goat Hill Stream | 1 Oct – 31 Mar | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Grasmere, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Guyon, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Halswell Canal, above the Duck Pond Road Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Halswell Canal, below the Duck Pond Road Bridge | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Halswell River, above the Seabridge Road Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Halswell River, below the Seabridge Road Bridge | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Harper River and tributaries including Avoca River | 1 Dec -30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Harts Creek | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Hawdon, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Hawkins River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Heathcote River | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Henrietta, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Henry River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Hope River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Hororata River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Hurunui River, above Lake Sumner | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Hurunui River, between Lake Sumner and South Branch confluence | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Hurunui River, below the South Branch confluence (Eastern Zone) | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Hurunui River, South Branch | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Hydra Waters | 1 Oct – 29 Feb | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Ida, Lake and Little Ida Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Fly fishing only | 2 | n/a |
| Irwell River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Kaiapoi Lakes | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Kaiapoi River, above the Cust Main Drain confluence | 1 Oct – 31 Mar | All legal methods* | 2 | 2*** |
| Kaiapoi River, below the Cust Main Drain confluence | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2*** |
| Kaituna River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Katrine, Loch | All year | Spinner/fly | 2 | 2 |
| Lake, Stream | 1 Oct – 31 Mar | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Leader River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Lee Stream | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Letitia, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Lewis River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| LII (L2) River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Lilian, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Lyndon, Lake | 5 Nov – 30 Apr and 1 Jun – 31 Aug | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Mandamus River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 0 |
| Manuka Point Stream | 1 Oct – 29 Feb | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Marymere, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Fly fishing only | 2 | n/a |
| Mason, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Minchin, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Monck (Catherine), Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Fly fishing only | 2 | n/a |
| Monopolies Pond | All year | All legal methods | 2 | n/a |
| Nina River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Okuku River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Okuti River, above the Te Oka Bay Road Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Okuti River, below the Te Oka Bay Road Bridge | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Pahau River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 0 |
| Otukaikino Creek (South Branch of Waimakariri) above Dickeys Road Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 0 |
| Otukaikino Creek (South Branch of Waimakariri) below Dickeys Road Bridge | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Pearson, Lake | 5 Nov – 30 Apr and 1 Jun – 30 Sep | Spinner/fly | 2 | 2 |
| Porter River | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Poulter River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Rakaia River, above the Coleridge Tailrace confluence (in Western Zone) | 1 Oct – 31 Mar | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Rakaia River, below the Coleridge Tailrace confluence (in Eastern Zone) | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Rotokohatu, Lake | All year | All legal methods | 2 | n/a |
| Rubicon, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Ryton River | 1 Dec -30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Saltwater Creek | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Sarah, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Fly fishing only | 2 | n/a |
| Selfe, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr and 1 Jun -30 Sep | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Selwyn River, above the State Highway 77 Bridge (at Glentunnel) | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | n/a |
| Selwyn River between the Upper Selwyn Huts and the State Highway 77 Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Selwyn River, below the Upper Selwyn Huts | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Sheppard, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Fly fishing only | 2 | n/a |
| Slovens Creek | 5 Nov-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| St. Annes Lagoon, Cheviot | Closed | None | 0 | 0 |
| Styx River, above the Marshlands Road Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Styx River, below the Marshlands Road Bridge | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Sumner, Lake | All year | Spinner/fly | 2 | 2**** |
| Taylor, Lake | 5 Nov-30 Apr and 1 Jun -30 Sep | Spinner/fly | 2 | n/a |
| Tentburn Stream | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Waiau River, above the Hope River confluence (Western Zone) | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 1 | 0 |
| Waiau River, below the Hope River confluence (Eastern Zone) | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Waikari River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Waimakariri River, above Staircase Stream confluence (Western Zone) | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Waimakariri River, below the Staircase Stream confluence (Eastern Zone) | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | 2 |
| Waipara River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Wairewa River, above the Te Oka Bay Road Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Wairewa River, below the Te Oka Bay Road Bridge | All year | All legal methods* | 2 | n/a |
| Wilberforce Diversion | 1 Dec -30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Wilberforce River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Winding Creek | 1 Oct – 31 Mar | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
| Waitohi River | 1 Oct-30 Apr | Spinner/fly | 2 | 0 |
3 CLOSED WATERS
3.1 No licence holder shall fish for sports fish in the following waters:
3.2No licence holder shall fish for coarse fish in the following waters:
3.3 No licence holder shall fish for salmon in the following waters:
3.4 No person other than a child or junior licence holder under the age of 18 years as of 1 October 2011 shall fish in the Christchurch Groynes Fishing Lakes or Courtenay Lake at Kaiapoi.
4 AUTHORISED TACKLE
See First Schedule.
5 COARSE FISHING WATERS
6 BAIT FISHING WATERS
6.1 A person may bait fish for trout in the Eastern Zone between 1 October and 30 April only, except at:
6.2 Bait fishing for trout is prohibited in the Western Zone except at Lake Lyndon where Junior Anglers only may bait fish in the summer and winter seasons.
Bait fishing for salmon is prohibited except in the:
7 USE OF BOATS
7.1 Fishing from boats which are being propelled by a motor (trolling) is permitted in:
7.2 Fishing from boats which are not being propelled by a motor is permitted in:
8 DAILY LIMIT BAGS
8.1No licence holder shall take or kill more than 1 Tench from the coarse fishing waters named in Section 5.
8.2 In addition to the daily limit bags described in Sections 2 and 8.1, no licence holder shall take, kill or be in possession of more than four sports fish.
9 FISH LENGTH
9.1 No licence holder shall be in possession of a sports fish which exceeds the stated maximum length, from the following waters:
9.2 Minimum length No restriction
10 HOURS OF FISHING
Western Zone lakes which have a winter fishing season of 1 June – 31 August: 5.00am to 12.00 midnight only.
All other waters. No restriction
Notes to below table:
*See section 6 for further restrictions on bait fishing for sports fish.
**See section 8 for further restrictions of daily bag limits.
***See section 3.3 re Salmon season closure in Kaiapoi River above Williams Street Bridge.
****See section 9.1(h) re 450mm maximum Salmon length for Lake Sumner.
All lakes, rivers and streams in the Eastern Zone not mentioned in Section 2:
1 October to 30 April All legal methods 2 trout, 2 salmon
All lakes in the Western Zone not mentioned in Section 2:
5 November to 30 April Spinner, fly 2 trout
All tributaries of Western Zone lakes not mentioned in Section 2:
1 December to 30 April Spinner, fly 2 trout
All North Island Regulations / All South Island Regulations