Fishing

Few anglers can resist the lure - clear, clean rivers and streams teeming with trout ribbon the Southland region. Southland is a fishing paradise which attracts anglers from across the globe to its clear running, trout-laden rivers.

The Southland Plains are bisected by four major rivers, the Aparima, Waiau, Oreti and Mataura which boast a seemingly never-ending supply of picturesque and sparsely populated banks.

Under big skies and surrounded by awesome mountain ranges, you can escape all distractions as you cast for brown trout, rainbow trout and salmon.

The Mataura River is one of the best trout fishing rivers in the world. It has the highest population and catch rate of any river in New Zealand. It is also famous for its hatches and spinner falls. For more info read on Fishing in Eastern Southland

Bluff is home to a fishing fleet which harvests fish and shellfish from around the coast and Foveaux Strait. You can get a taste for the local fishing industry through one of the various chartered fishing boat operators, experiencing the adventure and excitement of fishing in these southern waters first-hand. Read more about Fishing in Bluff here.

These represent just the starting point in a huge variety of fishing opportunities throughout the province. When you consider the dozens of smaller rivers and streams, as well as the lakes, it’s not surprising Southland has the highest participation in angling per capita of any region in New Zealand.