Otago

Lake Hāwea

Otago·Upper Clutha and Lakes·44.58° S, 169.28° E

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About Lake Hāwea

Lake Hāwea lies in the next valley east of Lake Wānaka, 35 km long and up to 392 m deep, and at the Neck the two lakes are only about a kilometre apart. It was raised 20 m in 1958 to store water for the Clutha hydro scheme. Contact Energy now holds it between 338 and 346 m above sea level and lets it out through the control gates at the southern end into the Hāwea River. Rainbows are the backbone of the fishery: Fish & Game puts the lake's fish at about 60 percent rainbow trout, 29 percent landlocked quinnat salmon and 11 percent brown trout. The daily salmon bag is four, as on Wakatipu, against one on Wānaka, and quinnat are often caught in good numbers around Christmas.

It is a boat lake first. Trolling takes about 70 percent of the fish, with lures, downriggers and a sounder to find the drop-off, and fly anglers do best from a boat at the river mouths. Shore water is mostly steep below State Highway 6, with a few easy spots, the beach at Kidds Bush and the southern end by the township, where Fish & Game rates October and November for shore fishing. The level shapes the fishing. It usually rises through summer and falls through winter, and trout come in close as rising water floods the edges and their insects. A low lake leaves a wide band of bare stone and pushes the fish deeper. Pre-spawn browns gather off the Hunter, Dingle Burn and Timaru mouths in April and May, rainbows follow in July and August, and the Timaru delta holds rainbows in spring. First light is often calm, and the nor'west wind builds as the day warms and can make the lake rough fast.

The lake is open all year to fly, spinner and bait, but its tributaries are open only from 1 November to 31 May, and the Hunter and the upper Dingle Burn are Designated Waters that need their own licence. The far end is remote. The Hunter delta is reached by boat, by the farm road through Hunter Valley Station with permission, or on foot on the Lake Hāwea Track. After a drawdown the Timaru delta can turn to quicksand, so test the ground before you trust it. In 2025 Contact Energy sought fast-track consent to lower the minimum level to 336 m, and further in an extreme dry year, and the local angling club opposed it. The government declined the fast-track referral in October 2025.

Species

Rainbow Trout
Primary · Year-round · 35-50 cm
About 60 percent of the lake's fish, by Fish & Game's figures. They gather off the Timaru delta in spring and at the stream mouths in July and August before they spawn, and some well-conditioned fish come in around Christmas and New Year.
Chinook Salmon
Common · Dec-Jan · 40-50 cm, 1-2 kg
Landlocked quinnat salmon, which never go to sea, and about 29 percent of the lake's fish. They move round the lake in schools, are often caught in good numbers around Christmas, and are good eating. Daily bag 4.
Brown Trout
Common · Apr-May · 40-60 cm
About 11 percent of the lake's fish. Pre-spawn browns gather off the Hunter, Dingle Burn and Timaru mouths in April and May before they run up to spawn.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Rainbow Trout	Primary	Year-round	35-50 cm
Chinook Salmon	Common	Dec-Jan	40-50 cm, 1-2 kg
Brown Trout	Common	Apr-May	40-60 cm

Areas

5 areas

Hunter River Delta

Shore & BoatAdvancedBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The head of the lake, where the Hunter River comes in through a wide delta. Pre-spawn browns gather off the stream mouths in April and May, and the rainbows follow in July and August. The delta flats widen when the lake is low, and local anglers rate it highly while the water stays down. It is a long way from anywhere: by boat, by the farm road through Hunter Valley Station with the landowner's permission, or on foot along the Lake Hāwea Track.

Best for: Brown trout and rainbow trout at the river mouth and drop-off, with the Hunter's backcountry browns above it

Dingle Burn and Silver Island

Shore & BoatIntermediateBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The eastern shore around the Dingle Burn mouth, the Turihuka Conservation Area and Silver Island. A private road above the lake leads to the Dingle Burn car park, and the public track carries on round the peninsula to a basic DOC campsite at the Dingle Burn mouth. Boat anglers work the mouth, where fish patrol the drop-off and the current line.

Best for: Brown trout and rainbow trout at the stream mouth, and pre-spawn browns from April

Timaru River Mouth

Shore & BoatIntermediateBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The Timaru River comes into the eastern side of the lake by its own delta, reached on Timaru Creek Road. Rainbows gather off the mouth in spring, and it is one of the lake's best spots for both fly and spin anglers. Take care on the delta after the lake has dropped: the soft ground there can act like quicksand. The river below the Timaru Creek Road bridge is open all year, and above it from 1 November to 31 May.

Best for: Rainbow trout off the delta in spring, and browns before their autumn run

The Neck and Kidds Bush

ShoreIntermediateBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The western shore along State Highway 6, from the Neck, where Lake Wānaka is only about a kilometre away over the ridge, north to the DOC campsite at Kidds Bush on Meads Road. Most of the shore below the highway is steep, but there are a few places to get down to the gravel beaches. This side is more sheltered from the nor'west wind than the open lake, and boats can go in off the beach at Kidds Bush with a 4WD.

Best for: Brown trout and rainbow trout cruising the gravel edges, on nymphs, beetles and small streamers

Hāwea Township End

Shore & BoatBeginnerSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The southern end of the lake by Lake Hāwea township and the control dam, with the lake's only concrete boat ramp, reached through the township holiday park. Fish & Game rates October and November as good months for shore fishing here. The lake runs between 338 and 346 m above sea level, so the beaches can be wide bare stone or close to the scrub, depending on the month.

Best for: Rainbow trout, quinnat salmon and brown trout from the shore in spring, and trolled or on sinking lines from a boat, with quinnat often caught around Christmas

Access

Lake Hāwea township boat rampBoat ramp
The lake's only concrete ramp, at the southern end, reached through the township holiday park. A low lake leaves more of the shore bare.
Kidds Bush Reserve CampsiteCampground
DOC campsite on the western shore off Meads Road, about 32 km north of Wānaka. Often booked out from Boxing Day to early February.

At a glance

Ideal water temp: 10–17°C

Best seasons

Open all year. October and November are good for shore fishing at the southern end, and rainbows gather off the Timaru delta in spring. The lake usually rises through summer, and trout come in close as the water floods the edges. Quinnat are caught in good numbers around Christmas. April and May bring pre-spawn browns to the Hunter, Dingle Burn and Timaru mouths, and July and August bring the rainbows. The level runs between 338 and 346 m above sea level, so a low lake means wide bare beaches and fish holding deeper. Fish early: the nor'west wind often rises as the day warms. Surface water between about 10 and 17 °C (50 and 62 °F) suits the trout.

Regulations

Lake Hāwea is open all year to fly, spinner and bait, with a daily bag of 2 trout and 4 salmon and no minimum length. Its tributaries are open 1 November to 31 May, the lower Timaru River excepted, and the Hunter River and the upper Dingle Burn are Designated Waters.

Lake Hāwea: open all year. Fly, spinner and bait. Daily bag 2 trout and 4 salmon. No minimum length.
You may fish from any boat, canoe, pontoon or flotation device. A boat under motor must stay at least 100 m from anyone fishing from the shore.
Hunter River and tributaries: Designated Water. Open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout. You need a full-season licence and a Designated Waters licence, and only single-point hooks, one hook per lure.
Dingle Burn above the bridge on the Dingle Burn Station access road: Designated Water, open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout. Below that bridge: open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout.
Timaru River and tributaries: open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout. Below the Timaru Creek Road bridge it is open all year.
Other lakes, rivers and streams of the Clutha catchment above Clyde Dam that the guide does not list: open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout.
Across the Otago region you may keep fishing after you reach your bag if you return every fish at once. Scented lures are allowed where spinning is, when fished to imitate a bait fish. Perch have no bag limit.
National rules: no felt-soled waders or footwear. One rod, no more than 3 flies or spinners, and stay within 15 m of your rod. Carry your Fish & Game licence, which covers all of New Zealand except the Taupō fishery.

Older guides and websites give a bag of 6 fish for the lake. The 2026–27 guide sets 2 trout and 4 salmon. The Hāwea River below the control gates has its own rules: fly and spinner only, 2 trout and 1 salmon, and no fishing from boats.

Source: Fish & Game New Zealand, Otago region: Sports Fishing Regulations 2026–27. Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Lake Hāwea, Otago

Lake Hāwea township is about 16 km from Wānaka, about 1 hr 15 min from Queenstown. DOC's Kidds Bush campsite is about 40 min (32 km) north of Wānaka off State Highway 6.

Camping: DOC's Kidds Bush Reserve Campsite sits on the western shore off Meads Road and is often booked out from Boxing Day to early February. There is a basic DOC campsite at Turihuka by the Dingle Burn mouth, reached on foot. The township has a holiday park, a store, a pub and motels.

The only concrete boat ramp is at the southern end, through the township holiday park. Elsewhere boats go in off the beach with a 4WD, as at Kidds Bush. State Highway 6 runs along the western shore, and Timaru Creek Road and Dingle Burn Station Road run up the eastern side. To reach the Hunter delta by land, either drive the farm road through Hunter Valley Station from Kidds Bush, which needs the station's permission at least 2 days ahead and is closed for lambing from 1 October to 1 December, or walk the Lake Hāwea Track from the Dingle Burn car park, about 10 to 12 hours from Turihuka to the Hunter mouth. Sandflies can be bad around the lake.

Lake Hāwea

Otago·Upper Clutha and Lakes·44.58° S, 169.28° E

Log an outing

Fishing: Prime
Wind: 13km/h NNW; Steady
Water temp: About13°C; Estimated surface
Level: 342.5m; Up 0.24 m this week

See the full conditions on Lake Hāwea

Flow and temperature charts for every station, the weather, and the days ahead. Free, with an email.

A free account also gets you

5-day Fish Index forecastSee how each of the next 5 days rates on every river and lake, from the flow or wind, water temperature, weather and moon forecasts.
A dashboard for your watersSave your rivers and lakes and compare them on one board, with the last week and the days ahead.
A logbook that fills in the conditionsLog outings and trips with photos, even with no signal in the app. Troutline adds the flow, water temperature and weather for each day.
Your angler profileSee other anglers' public outings, and share yours.

Already have an account?

Want history, unlimited alerts and more? , with the first 14 days free for new members.

Solunar · next 7 days

About Lake Hāwea

Species

Rainbow Trout
Primary · Year-round · 35-50 cm
About 60 percent of the lake's fish, by Fish & Game's figures. They gather off the Timaru delta in spring and at the stream mouths in July and August before they spawn, and some well-conditioned fish come in around Christmas and New Year.
Chinook Salmon
Common · Dec-Jan · 40-50 cm, 1-2 kg
Landlocked quinnat salmon, which never go to sea, and about 29 percent of the lake's fish. They move round the lake in schools, are often caught in good numbers around Christmas, and are good eating. Daily bag 4.
Brown Trout
Common · Apr-May · 40-60 cm
About 11 percent of the lake's fish. Pre-spawn browns gather off the Hunter, Dingle Burn and Timaru mouths in April and May before they run up to spawn.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Rainbow Trout	Primary	Year-round	35-50 cm
Chinook Salmon	Common	Dec-Jan	40-50 cm, 1-2 kg
Brown Trout	Common	Apr-May	40-60 cm

Areas

5 areas

Hunter River Delta

Shore & BoatAdvancedBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Best for: Brown trout and rainbow trout at the river mouth and drop-off, with the Hunter's backcountry browns above it

Dingle Burn and Silver Island

Shore & BoatIntermediateBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Best for: Brown trout and rainbow trout at the stream mouth, and pre-spawn browns from April

Timaru River Mouth

Shore & BoatIntermediateBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Best for: Rainbow trout off the delta in spring, and browns before their autumn run

The Neck and Kidds Bush

ShoreIntermediateBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Best for: Brown trout and rainbow trout cruising the gravel edges, on nymphs, beetles and small streamers

Hāwea Township End

Shore & BoatBeginnerSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Best for: Rainbow trout, quinnat salmon and brown trout from the shore in spring, and trolled or on sinking lines from a boat, with quinnat often caught around Christmas

Access

Lake Hāwea township boat rampBoat ramp
The lake's only concrete ramp, at the southern end, reached through the township holiday park. A low lake leaves more of the shore bare.
Kidds Bush Reserve CampsiteCampground
DOC campsite on the western shore off Meads Road, about 32 km north of Wānaka. Often booked out from Boxing Day to early February.

At a glance

Ideal water temp: 10–17°C

Best seasons

Regulations

Lake Hāwea: open all year. Fly, spinner and bait. Daily bag 2 trout and 4 salmon. No minimum length.
You may fish from any boat, canoe, pontoon or flotation device. A boat under motor must stay at least 100 m from anyone fishing from the shore.
Hunter River and tributaries: Designated Water. Open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout. You need a full-season licence and a Designated Waters licence, and only single-point hooks, one hook per lure.
Dingle Burn above the bridge on the Dingle Burn Station access road: Designated Water, open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout. Below that bridge: open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout.
Timaru River and tributaries: open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout. Below the Timaru Creek Road bridge it is open all year.
Other lakes, rivers and streams of the Clutha catchment above Clyde Dam that the guide does not list: open 1 November to 31 May, fly and spinner, 1 trout.
Across the Otago region you may keep fishing after you reach your bag if you return every fish at once. Scented lures are allowed where spinning is, when fished to imitate a bait fish. Perch have no bag limit.
National rules: no felt-soled waders or footwear. One rod, no more than 3 flies or spinners, and stay within 15 m of your rod. Carry your Fish & Game licence, which covers all of New Zealand except the Taupō fishery.

Source: Fish & Game New Zealand, Otago region: Sports Fishing Regulations 2026–27. Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Lake Hāwea, Otago

Lake Hāwea township is about 16 km from Wānaka, about 1 hr 15 min from Queenstown. DOC's Kidds Bush campsite is about 40 min (32 km) north of Wānaka off State Highway 6.

Lake Hāwea

See the full conditions on Lake Hāwea

Solunar · next 7 days

About Lake Hāwea

Species

Areas

Hunter River Delta

Dingle Burn and Silver Island

Timaru River Mouth

The Neck and Kidds Bush

Hāwea Township End

Access

Fishing reports

Read the fishing reports for Lake Hāwea

More in Otago

Upper Clutha and Lakes

Lake Wānaka

Lake Hāwea

See the full conditions on Lake Hāwea

Solunar · next 7 days

About Lake Hāwea

Species

Areas

Hunter River Delta

Dingle Burn and Silver Island

Timaru River Mouth

The Neck and Kidds Bush

Hāwea Township End

Access

Fishing reports

Read the fishing reports for Lake Hāwea

More in Otago

Upper Clutha and Lakes

Lake Wānaka

Fishing conditions

See the 5-day fishing forecast for Lake Hāwea

Fishing conditions

See the 5-day fishing forecast for Lake Hāwea