The Best Fishing Spots in Otago
Otago offers diverse recreational fishing from braided rivers and clear alpine lakes to productive coastal waters. In freshwater, anglers target wild brown trout, rainbow trout and seasonal Chinook salmon on rivers like the Clutha and lakes Wanaka and Wakatipu, with many opportunities for fly fishing and spin fishing. Estuaries and surf produce schooling kahawai and sea-run trout, while boat and reef fishing off the Otago Peninsula and the Catlins yield tarakihi, gurnard, blue cod and deep-water southern blue whiting. Gear ranges from light tippets and dry flies to heavy jigging and bait rigs, so anglers can enjoy a wide variety of freshwater and saltwater fishing styles across the region.
Top Cities For Fishing
Lake Fishing
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Hawea
Lake Wanaka
Sea Fishing
Andersons Bay
(3 km to coast)
Balaclava
(6 km to coast)
Brighton
(4 km to coast)
Brockville
(11 km to coast)
Caversham
(6 km to coast)
Concord
(5 km to coast)
Corstorphine
(5 km to coast)
Dunedin
(7 km to coast)
East Taieri
(11 km to coast)
Fairfield
(7 km to coast)
Green Island
(8 km to coast)
Halfway Bush
(12 km to coast)
Kaitangata
(12 km to coast)
Kenmure
(8 km to coast)
Macandrew Bay
(0 km to coast)
Maori Hill
(9 km to coast)
Maryhill
(7 km to coast)
Mornington
(7 km to coast)
Mosgiel
(13 km to coast)
Musselburgh
(4 km to coast)
North East Valley
(6 km to coast)
Oamaru
(7 km to coast)
Opoho
(7 km to coast)
Palmerston
(12 km to coast)
Papatowai
(6 km to coast)
Pine Hill
(8 km to coast)
Port Chalmers
(3 km to coast)
Portobello
(2 km to coast)
Ravensbourne
(3 km to coast)
Roslyn
(9 km to coast)
Saint Clair
(1 km to coast)
Saint Kilda
(3 km to coast)
Sawyers Bay
(3 km to coast)
Shiel Hill
(3 km to coast)
South Dunedin
(6 km to coast)
Tainui
(3 km to coast)
Waikouaiti
(6 km to coast)
Wakari
(11 km to coast)
Waverley
(3 km to coast)
Weston
(13 km to coast)
Wingatui
(10 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
Purakaunui Bay
Scenic Catlins surf beach delivering kahawai, rig, and winter elephant fish; cast crab and shellfish baits into channels on the push, throw metals at work-ups, and check nearby Long Point for change-of-light bites.
Otago Harbour
A long, sheltered waterway offering year-round action for salmon, kahawai, trevally, kingfish (summer) and prolific squid under lights; troll channels on the flood, spin from wharves and rock walls, or drift soft baits over sand flats near Port Chalmers and Macandrew Bay .
Molyneux Bay
Open-coast surf and boat fishery near the Clutha River mouth for kahawai, rig, red cod and seasonal snapper incursions; fish the color change line, cast metals into birds working, or launch on calm days from Kaka Point .
St Clair Beach
Popular urban surfcasting for kahawai, rig (spotted smoothhound), red cod and winter elephant fish; fish evening tides with crab baits, cast metals into work-ups, and roam the gutters toward St Kilda Beach when swell is moderate.
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Lake Wanaka (Outlet) – Clutha River
The Clutha River begins here with powerful turquoise runs stacked with rainbows and solid browns; swing streamers at first light, nymph the seams below the outlet bridge, or drift soft-baits from a boat down toward Albert Town .
Lake Wakatipu
Crystal-clear alpine water famous for brown and rainbow trout plus landlocked Chinook salmon; run tassie-style lures or leadlines for deeper fish, jig shoals off Queenstown Bay and Frankton Arm , and stalk cruising browns along gravelly points on calm mornings.
Waipori River
A tannin-stained tributary of the Taieri River with resident brown trout; prospect pocket water with small nymphs, swing wets through deeper pools, and spin the lower reaches where structure and flow converge.
Lake Waipori
Shallow lake on the Taieri Plains producing perch and opportunistic brown trout; work weed lines with soft-baits, troll small hardbodies along the edges, and try the connecting channels toward Lake Waihola on overcast days.
Taieri River
From tussock headwaters to lower meanders, the Taieri delivers consistent brown trout and estuarine sea-run trout; nymph clear upper beats near Middlemarch , spin the willow-lined pools around Outram , and work the tidal reaches for silver fish.
Shag River
A classic East Coast stream (Waihemo) with clear pools holding brown trout and a seasonal sea-run trout push; nymph the riffle-drop combos, swing small streamers in fresher flows, and explore the estuary near Shag Point for silver fish.
Lake Onslow
High-country water known for wild brown trout that cruise weed beds; slow-troll hardbodies along the old riverbed, strip woolly buggers on breezy shores, and sight-fish sunny edges near Onslow Road access points.
Kawarau River
Fast, clear flows linking Lake Wakatipu to Lake Dunstan with quality brown and rainbow trout; target edges and back-eddies with nymphs, swing streamers in the evening, or drift-fish by boat where access is limited.
Clutha River / Mata-Au
New Zealand’s largest volume river famed for strong brown and rainbow trout; swing streamers through turquoise runs, nymph the seams below riffles, or run soft-baits and spinners from boats between Clyde and Roxburgh .
Lake Hawea
Deep, cold water producing chunky rainbows, wary brown trout and seasonal salmon; run downriggers along the main basin, cast lures into wind-lanes at first light, and prowl the shore near Timaru Creek for sighted browns on bright days.
Poolburn Reservoir
Moody, boulder-studded reservoir famed for sight-fishing to cruising brown trout; work wind lanes with dries in summer, slow-strip streamers along rocky points, and explore back bays reachable via Ida Valley tracks.
Lake Dunstan
A productive reservoir with abundant rainbows, solid browns and perch; troll along submerged creek mouths, jig weed edges in summer, or stalk cruising trout on calm mornings around Lowburn and Bannockburn .
Top Saltwater & Freshwater Spots
Papanui Inlet
Neighbour to Hoopers Inlet with expansive flats and channels holding flounder, rig and summertime kahawai; wade the flats with spears after dark, drift soft-baits along current edges, and fish small stream mouths on a flooding tide.
Hoopers Inlet
Shallow inlet on the Otago Peninsula ideal for flounder spearing at night, light-tackle kahawai in channels, and occasional sea-run trout at the creek mouths; small boats and kayaks excel on mid to high tides.
Blueskin Bay
A broad estuary and bay system offering flounder, rig, elephant fish, and summer kahawai; drag-nets for flatfish on the tidal flats, kayak soft-baits over channels, or boat-fish the outer bay off Karitane in settled weather.