Lake Otamangakau fishing made easy…

Another reminder that Lake O will be closed in February so get there now. TRM has two “water-strider” rafts available for guests. They are so simple to inflate, very stable, easy to paddle, more comfortable with a backrest, and can glide across the shallow weeds where the trout hide. See the rise behind the angler in the photo below.

Life jackets must be worn. Limited to fine days without wind! (Please note no responsibility is accepted for guests’ safety. Any damage to rafts must be paid for.)

The brief video illustrates how easy they are to transport and inflate using the car battery. They are ideal for Lake Otamangakau, Lake Kuratau, etc. but not suitable for river rafting as they can be flipped over in some of the larger surge waves.

NEW 2022 LAKE OTAMANGAKAU FISHING REGULATIONS

  • From the 2022 season Lake Otamangakau season opened Sept 1st but will be closed in February. Season still closes May 31st.
  • The maximum takeable length is now 55cm with no minimum size.
  • A reduction in bag limit to two fish per day.
  • Varying angler reactions – DOC spokesman suggesting that anglers must benefit while many disappointed, suggesting the only reason they fish in such remote exposed wilderness conditions is for a trophy trout which they cannot take home… i.e. A regular TRM angler who has been fishing Lake O every Christmas holiday for the last fifteen years stayed away. What do you think?

One of the charms of Lake O is the wide variety of sneaky trout-hunting watercraft used.

One of the most interesting and entertaining sights is to compare some of the water craft specially adapted for tracking elusive giant trout at Lake O. The usual cabin cruiser does not compare to the smaller type of surf board or dinghy – TRM’s most successful Lake O angler uses a surf ski! After 100 visits over several years during the Christmas-New Year peak season, he averaged over 6.6 trout per visit, (that is over 660 trout landed) all caught on his own fly, all released. So it might be stretching it to describe some of them as fishing boats – designed more for skimming over or through the shallow weed beds where the trout feed, without disturbing the trout. Please note jet skis are banned from Lake O. Never ever scoff at some of the special quirky Lake O adaptions as they are also often the most successful…