Lake Waikaremoana Good Bet for Easter

East Coast locals are being urged to make the most of the Easter break with a family fishing trip to Lake Waikaremoana.

The what-to-do-over-Easter suggestion comes from Fish & Game.

“Fishing can be a great family activity, ” says Fish & Game Officer Matt Osborne. “It’s a great way to get youngsters out of the house and into the outdoors.”

He’s reminding Easter holidaymakers in particular they can buy a family licence which allows more than one person to fish legally. A family fishing together from a boat makes for a great holiday, and Matt Osborne says a spinning rod for casting from the shoreline is an inexpensive way to fish which even children can master.

Reports suggest that Lake Waikaremoana is fishing very well in the mornings and evenings with the change of light, says Matt. “There have been some good catch rates with fish in good condition hooked, reflecting the fact that at the moment there are lots of smelt around for them to feed on.”

The East Coast has been hit by some recent heavy rains, which have given rivers like the Ruakituri, Hangaroa, and the Motu a serious clean out, says Matt. Recent feedback from anglers suggests fishing has been hard and it may take a season for fish numbers to recover.

Fish & Game have some counts of trout from a number of East Coast rivers dating back a decade, and the Eastern Region Fish and Game Council is considering putting some more resources into river fisheries - to have another look at trout populations in this area. Given the recent floods, the move would be timely, says Matt. It would likely involve Fish & Game staff undertaking a series of drift dives over a number of years to count fish and determine the state of the fishery.