Rotorua lakes booming with trout this summer

Warmer weather has seen trout entering the Ngongotahā Stream earlier in the season. Photo / File

Trout fishers will have a whale of a time fishing in the Rotorua region this summer, as warmer weather has boosted the number of fish entering Ngongotahā Stream.

With warmer weather earlier in the season than normal, lake water temperatures have also risen.

This will increase the chances of catching fish in the deeper lakes, such as Rotoiti, Tarawera, Rotoma and Okataina, as they become easier to locate, Eastern Fish & Game said in a statement.

On shallower lakes, such as Rotorua and Rerwhakaaitu, trout which were unable to find comfortable water would swim out into streams or springs.

Over the past two week, this number had risen above 100 fish per night in some areas.

"A large exodus of fish has continued to pour from Lake Rotorua into the Ngongotahā
Stream," Fish & Game officer Matt Osborne said.

"Some nights have seen in excess of 100 brown trout per night running through the Ngongotahā fish trap."

The largest fish seen over the two-week period was 5.1kg, Osborne said.

Anglers fishing the Ngongotahā stream mouth had found early success, the statement said.

While angler turnout had been low so far through the season, which began on December 1, catch rates had been "impressive".

Other stream mouths, such as Hamurana, were also doing well for some lucky anglers, with some catching up to 12-pound brown trout.

Fish condition had also improved on last year, Fish & Game said, with Lakes Rotoiti, Okataina and Tarawera all producing better fish than last year.

However, older, mature rainbow trout that had recently spawned were going to be an exception to this, the statement said.

This was especially true in Lake Rotorua, which is essentially a wild fishery and has rainbow trout spawning as late as December, they said.

Anglers who wanted to try their luck at catching trout this summer could come along to Fish & Game's free talk, held on January 4 2020.

The talk would also include a demonstration of improving boat fishing skills.

Fish & Game officers Mark Sherburn and Matt Osborne would educate anglers on the life-cycle of the trout, their food, habits and habitat to help improve anglers' success rates.

Afterwards, they would also teach anglers how to clean and de-bone a trout.

The talk was designed to enhance anglers' enjoyment on the lakes, said
Sherburn.

"We want license holders to be successful and enjoy the wonderful
Rotorua lakes fishery," he said.

"We are blessed with an abundance of opportunity here."