Public fishing lakes, rivers and canals in Hawke's Bay Region — Trout.
Filter by species, water type and size. Permit and rules information for every public venue in Hawke's Bay Region and across New Zealand.
Hawke's Bay offers some of the best and easiest river access in the country, with spectacular headwater fishing as well as year-round lowland angling. Lake Tutira is the region's major lake fishery, giving excellent sport to both shore anglers and rowboat trollers. The major river systems - the Mohaka, Tutaekuri, Ngaruroro, Waipawa and Tukituki - all have comprehensive angler access pamphlets.
Dry fly fishing on the Tukituki and its tributaries is a major summer attraction as fish feed on the surface, while the Ngaruroro and Mohaka headwater wilderness fisheries are nationally rated for trophy-sized fish in gin-clear water. 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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