Waitaki River

The Waitaki drains Lakes Tekapo, Pūkaki and Ōhau through a chain of hydro lakes and canals, and below the Waitaki Dam it runs as a big braided river past Kurow to the sea at Glenavy, north of Oamaru. Its flow is second in New Zealand only to the Clutha's. The river holds good-sized brown and rainbow trout, and it is a noted sea-run quinnat salmon fishery, best at the mouth. Fish & Game says the Waitaki and Rangitata salmon usually fish best from December through March, but its monitoring shows the runs are now critically low. That is why North Canterbury and Central South Island brought in a season bag of one sea-run salmon in 2021-22.

The river runs over an unstable shingle bed, with willows lining many of its banks. Because it is used to make electricity, its level can change suddenly, so stay aware of rising water and never get stranded on a braid. Water clarity is usually good in summer. Spinning is the most productive method: a black, silver or blue slice or a Zed spinner. In the evening there is often a good caddis rise, especially below the Hakataramea confluence. For the fly, carry a Greenwell's Glory, a Coch-y-Bondhu, a Humpy or a Molefly, nymphs such as a Hare and Copper, Hare's Ear or Pheasant Tail, and streamers such as a Mrs Simpson, a Hamill's Killer or a rabbit fly.

The Kurow gauge reads the river below the dams, so it shows what the power stations release. Environment Canterbury sends its readings only up to the previous midnight, so the newest value on this page can be up to a day old, and a change in generation today will not show until tomorrow. Didymo is present in many of the region's waters: check, clean and dry your gear between rivers.