(following from an article in Taupo Times – 10 July – by Chloe Blommerde)
The Department of Conservation Fishery Management team is predicting a good winter trout fishing season at the southern end of Lake Taupo this year.
Community Ranger James Barnett said DOC had been compiling the latest scientific data and sharing it on its “Taupo Trout Fishery” facebook page.
That included recent results from the bi-annual echo-sounding programme. That showed very high levels of plankton and smelt at the southern end of the lake while the northern end was relatively poor.
(Following is the DOC facebook article – fishy images from TRM library)
Indicators point toward a good winter season – predicting the future is a tricky business especially when we are talking about a dynamic natural system such as Lake Taupo. That said, reviewing the latest scientific data and referencing evolving trends can help the fishery team generate a picture of what is happening within the lake, and in doing so, anticipate how it might impact on trout.
Recent results from the bi-annual echo-sounding programme show that in April this year the productivity (made up primarily of plankton and smelt) in the southern end of Lake Taupo was very high, while the northern end was relatively poor.
It is not unusual to see a north south split, however this year the southern end looks to be particularly good, being the second highest since the monitoring started in 2010.
In November 2017 the density was very high around Horomatangi, which is consistent with several previous soundings taken at this time of year and reflects the good fishing reported from around the reef last spring.
In addition, the fishery team looks at trends associated with data collected from fish traps and angler surveys.
Last year the average size of rainbow trout was the largest we’ve encountered since 2006, with anglers also reporting high satisfaction levels.
On balance the fishery team is optimistic about the new season, with the possibility of good quality trout that have benefitted from the recent rich food supply at the southern end of the lake.
