Public fishing lakes, rivers and canals in Bay of Plenty Region — Trout.
Filter by species, water type and size. Permit and rules information for every public venue in Bay of Plenty Region and across New Zealand.
The bush-clad Lakes Waikaremoana and Waikareiti of Te Urewera give spectacular boat and shoreline fishing for brown and rainbow trout. The Bay of Plenty itself has a large number of river fisheries, from the Waioeka River in the east through the Rangitaiki, Tarawera and Kaituna catchments to the Ngamuwahine River in the west, with Lakes Aniwhenua and Flaxy adding further variety.
The Rotorua lakes are the central feature of the region - shoreline fly and spin fishing gives very good catch rates, and boat fishing opens up more water again. Fish & Game publishes detailed catchment pamphlets with access points and fishing information for the region's main waters. A Fish & Game licence covering all 12 regions except Taupō is required.
Every angler needs a Fish & Game licence. A single season or short-term licence covers all 12 Fish & Game regions nationwide; Taupō is managed separately by DOC under its own licence and rules.
The 2026-27 Anglers Notice, approved under the Conservation Act 1987, sets the open season, authorised methods (Fly/Spin/Bait) and daily bag limit for named waters in each region, with a regional default for everything else.
There is no national night-fishing clock rule — hours are set per water in the Anglers Notice, so always check the specific venue rather than assuming a blanket rule.
Whether you can camp or bivvy overnight nearby depends on land ownership and public-access status, not the fishing regulations themselves — check this region's venues for their confirmed access status, and DOC's hut/campsite network for a legal place to stay.
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