We just had a West Island angler asking that now Lake O was closed off, where are there any other similar lakes to fish? These Aussies enjoy their lake edge stalking after training in Tasmania.
Of course we directed him to the mighty Tongariro. One of the main advantages of the Tongariro is that it offers a wild fishery open all year when many other lakes and rivers are closed for spawning.
But everyone needs a change of style and scenery every now and then so there are still other places within easy access from TRM. i.e. Lake Kuratau – info from NZFishing.com
Note it is still open until the end of June and the minimum is 30 cm and there is no bag limit – you can keep as many as you can catch…
Lake Kuratau Trout Fishing
| Lake Kuratau provides wilderness fishing close to but quite different from Lake Taupo. It is a great place to get away from the crowds to fish for a very high population of fish. |
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| View photos | View maps |
| Fish type | Rainbow and brown trout | |
| Situation | A small man-made lake that now offers wilderness quality fishing west of Lake Taupo. | |
| Maps | ||
| Check conditions | View the MetService weather forecast for Taupo. | |
| Description |
The fish in Lake Kuratau are numerous but they do not tend to reach the size or condition as those in Lake Taupo or Lake Otamangakau. They are dependant on insects for food, and the best fishing coincides with increased insect activity over summer when the trout tend to rise very freely. The trout feed avidly throughout the season making it an exciting fishery where large numbers of fish can be caught. In some years, large numbers of cicadas are blown onto the lakes in late January and early February stimulating some great dry fly fishing. As there is limited shoreline access, Kuratau is best flyfished from a boat or float tube using a floating line and small nymphs, or stalking and casting to cruising brown trout around the lake edge. The water has a slightly stained colour from the vegetation that was drowned when the lake was formed. Lake Kuratau contains no introduced aquatic plants, and it is essential anglers carefully check their boats and trailers for any weed fragments before launching. |
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| Fish numbers and size | The fish in Lake Kuratau are smaller and not as good condition as those in the nearby Lake Otamangakau but there are many more of them. | |
| Access | At Kuratau Junction, turn of SH 41 onto SH 32 and then take the Kuratau Hydro road which leads to the lake and the only boat ramp. See the Lake Kuratau access map. | |
| Recommended tackle |
A 6 weight rod. |
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| Recommended lures |
Nymphs: Hare and Copper, Halfback, Pheasant Tail and green caddis patterns in sizes 12 to 16 Dry flies: Daddy Long Legs and Coch-y-Bondu. cicada patterns and Green Beetle in summer. Wet flies/streamers: Day time: Use flies such as Woolly Bugger, Red Setter , Dollfly, Grey Ghost, Taupo Tigers, Rabbit patterns and Hamill’s Killer down to size 6. |
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| Tributaries |
Tributaries include the upper Kuratau River and the Mangaongoki Stream |
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| Regulations | ||
| Applicable to | Lake Kuratau | |
| Region | Taupo fishery area regulation summary | |
| Season | 1 Oct-30 June | |
| Methods | Fly and spinner. Boat fishing is permitted |
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| Bag limit | No limit | |
| Size limit (cm) | 30cm minimum | |