Otago

Pomahaka River

Otago·South and East Otago·45.94° S, 169.22° E

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About Pomahaka River

The Pomahaka is West Otago's big brown trout river, 98 km by the regional council's count, from the Umbrella Mountains through the farmland around Kelso and Tapanui to the Clutha / Mata-Au below Clydevale, and one of the busier trout rivers in the Otago region. It is really three fisheries. The gorges of the upper river hold few trout, but they run 2 to 3 kg and are spread well apart. The middle and lower river hold far more fish of about 0.5 to 1.5 kg, and the lower river adds a few rainbows and perch. In late summer sea-run browns come up from the Clutha to spawn, silver fish that can pass 4.5 kg. Sea-run chinook salmon enter the river too, but few anglers report catching one.

The upper river above the Hukarere Station Road bridge is classic high-country water: steep gorges, bedrock riffles and deep pools in clear, slightly tea-stained water, fished on foot for a handful of big browns. Below Leithen Glen the river spreads across a wide floodplain to Kelso, drops through the Kelso gorge, and runs past Tapanui over gravel through flat pasture, the easiest water to reach and wade. Below Conical Hill it runs through more gorges and flats along the foot of the Blue Mountains, and the water is darker there, so fish are harder to spot. Nymph with a Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tail or willow grub, try a Coch-y-Bondhu or a hopper on summer days, and swing a Veltic or Toby where spinning is allowed. In a hot, dry summer the river shrinks to a low, weedy flow.

The Pomahaka rises fast in heavy rain, so check the Burkes Ford gauge, which reads the lower river, before you drive. Fish & Game reports call about 5 to 7 m³/s there low water with good wading. Above the Hukarere Station Road bridge the river is a Designated Water, with a whole season licence and an Otago Designated Waters licence, fly and spinner only, single-point hooks and one trout a day. Below it the season runs 1 October to 30 April with bait allowed and four trout a day, and below Swans Bridge on Clydevale Road the river is open all year. Access is from the bridges and roads along the river, and willow, gorse and broom crowd the banks in places, so expect some scrambling between bridges. Angler use fell by about half between the mid-1990s and 2008, which the regional council links to low summer flows, bank management and poor water quality in some tributaries.

Species

Brown Trout
Primary · Oct-Apr · 0.5-1.5 kg in the middle and lower river, 2-3 kg in the headwaters
The most common fish in the catchment. Few but large browns in the upper gorges, more and smaller fish lower down. The upper river and its tributaries are important spawning water, which is part of why the headwaters are a Designated Water.
Sea Run Brown Trout
Seasonal · Feb-Apr · Some over 4.5 kg (10 lb)
Silver browns that live in the Clutha estuary and inshore waters and run up the river in late summer to spawn. The lower river from Swans Bridge down is open all year.
Rainbow Trout
Present · Oct-Apr · Varies
A minor part of the catch, mostly in the lower river.
Chinook Salmon
Present · Late summer · 2-6 kg
Sea-run quinnat salmon from the Clutha. The rules allow one a day, but few anglers report catching one. Salmon under 450 mm must go back.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Brown Trout	Primary	Oct-Apr	0.5-1.5 kg in the middle and lower river, 2-3 kg in the headwaters
Sea Run Brown Trout	Seasonal	Feb-Apr	Some over 4.5 kg (10 lb)
Rainbow Trout	Present	Oct-Apr	Varies
Chinook Salmon	Present	Late summer	2-6 kg

Sections

3 reaches

Upper Pomahaka (above the Hukarere Station Road bridge)

WadeSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The Designated Water: the high-country river above the Hukarere Station Road bridge, coming down from the Umbrella Mountains through steep gorges with bedrock riffles, gravel pools and clear, slightly tea-stained water. Brown trout here are few and well spread out, but they run 2 to 3 kg, and the upper river and its tributaries are important spawning water. You need a whole season licence and an Otago Designated Waters licence, methods are fly and spinner with single-point hooks, and the bag is one trout and one salmon. The river runs past Hukarere Station, so check the current public access before you walk in. The Aitchison Runs Road bridge gives road access to the reach.

Best for: Walking and sight fishing for a few large brown trout in gorge pools.

Middle Pomahaka (Hukarere Station Road to Conical Hill)

WadeSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The river leaves the hill country at Leithen Glen, spreads across the wide Kelso floodplain, drops through the gorge below Kelso, then runs south past Tapanui and Glenkenich to the next gorge at Conical Hill. Most of it flows over gravel through flat pasture, and it is the easiest part of the river to reach, with bridges at Park Hill on Switzers Road, Greenvale Road at Kelso, the Tapanui–Waikoikoi highway, Koi Flat Road and West Otago Road. Brown trout of about 0.5 to 1.5 kg are far more numerous than upstream. The season runs 1 October to 30 April, bait is allowed, and the bag is four trout and one salmon. In a dry summer it drops low and weedy, and willow, gorse and broom crowd the banks in places.

Best for: Nymphing and dry-fly fishing for brown trout in riffles and runs close to the road bridges, plus spinning and bait.

Lower Pomahaka (Conical Hill to the Clutha)

WadeSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Below Conical Hill the river turns east along the foot of the Blue Mountains through a run of gorges and flats, past Burkes Ford and Swans Bridge on Clydevale Road, to the Clutha below Clydevale. The water is darker, so fish are harder to spot, but the lower river holds plenty of brown trout, smaller on average, with a few rainbow trout and perch. Sea-run brown trout come up from the Clutha in late summer to spawn, and sea-run chinook salmon enter the river too. The Burkes Ford gauge reads this reach. Above Swans Bridge the season runs 1 October to 30 April, and below it the river is open all year, with fly, spinner and bait and a bag of four trout and one salmon throughout.

Best for: Spinning and nymphing for numbers of brown trout, and sea-run brown trout from late summer.

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 3.7–16 m³/s
Blow-out: >29 m³/s
Ideal water temp: 10–18°C

Best seasons

The flow on this page is the regional council's Pomahaka at Burkes Ford gauge, live. Fish & Game reports call 5 to 7 m³/s there good wading. The window comes from the gauge's record over the ten seasons to 2024, November to April. About 3.7 to 16 m³/s (130 to 580 cfs) covers most fishing days, and above about 29 m³/s (1,030 cfs), the wettest tenth of days, it is high and coloured. Above Swans Bridge the season runs 1 October to 30 April, and below it the river is open all year. Summer brings willow grubs, beetles and hoppers, but the river runs low and weedy in a dry year. Late summer brings the sea-run browns into the lower river. Flows are read at the Burkes Ford gauge, which sits on the lower river and reads almost all of the catchment, the Waipahi River included. The river rises fast in a flood, so give it time to drop after heavy rain. Trout feed best at about 10 to 18 °C (50 to 64 °F).

Regulations

Upstream of the Hukarere Station Road bridge the Pomahaka is a Designated Water: open 1 October to 30 April, fly and spinner only, single-point hooks, one trout and one salmon a day. From that bridge down to Swans Bridge on Clydevale Road the season is the same, bait is allowed, and the bag is four trout and one salmon. Below Swans Bridge the river is open all year with the same bag.

Licence: A Fish & Game sports fishing licence. Above the Hukarere Station Road bridge you also need a whole season licence and an Otago Designated Waters licence, and a short-term licence does not cover it. Non-residents may fish Otago's Designated Waters on no more than five days a season.

Designated Water, upstream of the Hukarere Station Bridge on Hukarere Station Road: open 1 October to 30 April, artificial fly and spinner only, daily bag 1 trout and 1 salmon.
Hukarere Station Bridge down to Swans Bridge on Clydevale Road: open 1 October to 30 April, fly, spinner and bait, daily bag 4 trout and 1 salmon.
Downstream of Swans Bridge (Clydevale Road): open all year, fly, spinner and bait, daily bag 4 trout and 1 salmon.
In the Designated Water only single-point hooks may be used, and a fly or lure may carry no more than one hook.
No salmon under 450 mm may be kept, because the Pomahaka is a Clutha tributary below Roxburgh Dam. There is no minimum length for trout.
Scented artificial lures may be used where spinning is allowed, if you fish them actively to imitate a baitfish.
No fishing from a boat, canoe, pontoon or other flotation device.
You may keep fishing after you have kept your bag, as long as every other fish goes straight back.
Felt-soled waders and boots are banned when fishing anywhere in New Zealand.

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

Getting there

Tapanui, Otago

Tapanui is about 2 hr (137 km) from Dunedin and 30 min (36 km) from Gore. Clydevale, on the lower river, is about 1.5 hr (104 km) from Dunedin. The Hukarere Station Road bridge, at the bottom of the Designated Water, is about 1 hr (32 km) from Tapanui.

Camping: Accommodation in Tapanui and Gore. The regional council lists camping and picnic spots by the river at Leithen Glen and Macintosh's Hole.

Roads cross the river at a string of bridges, including Hukarere Station Road, Switzers Road, Greenvale Road at Kelso, the Tapanui–Waikoikoi highway, Koi Flat Road, West Otago Road at Conical Hill and Clydevale Road, and anglers fish up and down from these. The upper river runs past Hukarere Station, where a tenure review agreed in 2021 set aside conservation land in the headwater tributaries along with new public access, so check the current access routes before you go. Elsewhere most of the banks are farmland, so ask before you cross private land, and expect willow, gorse and broom to block the banks in places. The Pomahaka River Trail links historic sites along the river, including the Kelso flood monument.

Pomahaka River

Otago·South and East Otago·45.94° S, 169.22° E

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Fishing: Prime
Flow: 18m³/s; Steady; Pomahaka at Burkes Ford
Water temp: 16.1°C; Pomahaka at Burkes Ford

Flow

18m³/s

Steady

Pomahaka at Burkes Ford

Water temp

16.1°C

Pomahaka at Burkes Ford

Normal range

—

Weather

16°C

Heavy Rain

See the full conditions on the Pomahaka River

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 Pomahaka River

Species

Brown Trout
Primary · Oct-Apr · 0.5-1.5 kg in the middle and lower river, 2-3 kg in the headwaters
The most common fish in the catchment. Few but large browns in the upper gorges, more and smaller fish lower down. The upper river and its tributaries are important spawning water, which is part of why the headwaters are a Designated Water.
Sea Run Brown Trout
Seasonal · Feb-Apr · Some over 4.5 kg (10 lb)
Silver browns that live in the Clutha estuary and inshore waters and run up the river in late summer to spawn. The lower river from Swans Bridge down is open all year.
Rainbow Trout
Present · Oct-Apr · Varies
A minor part of the catch, mostly in the lower river.
Chinook Salmon
Present · Late summer · 2-6 kg
Sea-run quinnat salmon from the Clutha. The rules allow one a day, but few anglers report catching one. Salmon under 450 mm must go back.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Brown Trout	Primary	Oct-Apr	0.5-1.5 kg in the middle and lower river, 2-3 kg in the headwaters
Sea Run Brown Trout	Seasonal	Feb-Apr	Some over 4.5 kg (10 lb)
Rainbow Trout	Present	Oct-Apr	Varies
Chinook Salmon	Present	Late summer	2-6 kg

Sections

3 reaches

Upper Pomahaka (above the Hukarere Station Road bridge)

WadeSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Best for: Walking and sight fishing for a few large brown trout in gorge pools.

Middle Pomahaka (Hukarere Station Road to Conical Hill)

WadeSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Best for: Nymphing and dry-fly fishing for brown trout in riffles and runs close to the road bridges, plus spinning and bait.

Lower Pomahaka (Conical Hill to the Clutha)

WadeSalmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Best for: Spinning and nymphing for numbers of brown trout, and sea-run brown trout from late summer.

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 3.7–16 m³/s
Blow-out: >29 m³/s
Ideal water temp: 10–18°C

Best seasons

Regulations

Licence: A Fish & Game sports fishing licence. Above the Hukarere Station Road bridge you also need a whole season licence and an Otago Designated Waters licence, and a short-term licence does not cover it. Non-residents may fish Otago's Designated Waters on no more than five days a season.

Designated Water, upstream of the Hukarere Station Bridge on Hukarere Station Road: open 1 October to 30 April, artificial fly and spinner only, daily bag 1 trout and 1 salmon.
Hukarere Station Bridge down to Swans Bridge on Clydevale Road: open 1 October to 30 April, fly, spinner and bait, daily bag 4 trout and 1 salmon.
Downstream of Swans Bridge (Clydevale Road): open all year, fly, spinner and bait, daily bag 4 trout and 1 salmon.
In the Designated Water only single-point hooks may be used, and a fly or lure may carry no more than one hook.
No salmon under 450 mm may be kept, because the Pomahaka is a Clutha tributary below Roxburgh Dam. There is no minimum length for trout.
Scented artificial lures may be used where spinning is allowed, if you fish them actively to imitate a baitfish.
No fishing from a boat, canoe, pontoon or other flotation device.
You may keep fishing after you have kept your bag, as long as every other fish goes straight back.
Felt-soled waders and boots are banned when fishing anywhere in New Zealand.

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

Getting there

Tapanui, Otago

Camping: Accommodation in Tapanui and Gore. The regional council lists camping and picnic spots by the river at Leithen Glen and Macintosh's Hole.

Pomahaka River

See the full conditions on the Pomahaka River

About Pomahaka River

Species

Sections

Upper Pomahaka (above the Hukarere Station Road bridge)

Middle Pomahaka (Hukarere Station Road to Conical Hill)

Lower Pomahaka (Conical Hill to the Clutha)

Fishing reports

Read the fishing reports for the Pomahaka River

More in Otago

South and East Otago

Taieri River

Waitaki River

Other regions

Caples River

Clutha River

Greenstone River

Hāwea River

Makarora River

Matukituki River

Pomahaka River

See the full conditions on the Pomahaka River

About Pomahaka River

Species

Sections

Upper Pomahaka (above the Hukarere Station Road bridge)

Middle Pomahaka (Hukarere Station Road to Conical Hill)

Lower Pomahaka (Conical Hill to the Clutha)

Fishing reports

Read the fishing reports for the Pomahaka River

More in Otago

South and East Otago

Taieri River

Waitaki River

Other regions

Caples River

Clutha River

Greenstone River

Hāwea River

Makarora River

Matukituki River

Fishing conditions

Fishing conditions