Kayaker missing on Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere near Christchurch

A search operation for a kayaker who has gone missing after a trip on a lake near Christchurch has been called off for the day.

The man was reported overdue about midday Saturday, having been expected to return a couple of hours earlier from a trip on Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere.

Police helped co-ordinate a search for the man, with assistance from Garden City Helicopters from the air, and vessels from the Waimakariri-Ashley Coastguard and Surf Life Saving NZ on the water with IRBs and jet skis.

The man's kayak was located around 2.30pm but he was not found.

Police are speaking to his family members who were at the lake.

The search will resume in the morning.