All spots

Rakaia River

River fishing  Canterbury, South Island · 08:06 - 17:00

Rakaia River is a river in Canterbury, South Island. Flowing water with species ranked by weather, temperature and season, see below.

Conditions right now

Weather
Heavy rain
Water temp (est.)
18°C
Air temp
11°C
Wind
2 m/s
Pressure
1011 hPa ↑ rising
Clouds
100.0%

Water temperature is an estimate based on weather and season.

Best times today

Dawn 07:21–09:21 Dusk 15:45–17:45

Local time at the spot, from the most likely species' daily rhythm.

Next hours

22:00
11°
23:00
11°
00:00
11°
01:00
11°
02:00
11°
03:00
11°
04:00
10°
05:00
10°
06:00
10°
07:00
10°
08:00
10°
09:00
10°

Likely catch now (3 species)

Sea Trout
Sea Trout
Salmo trutta trutta
51%
Overcast lifts the bite.
Tap for details
Chinook Salmon
Chinook Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
28%
Water near its preferred 18 degrees, overcast lifts the bite.
Tap for details
Australian Salmon
Australian Salmon
Arripis trutta
21%
Slow during the night, water near its preferred 18 degrees, overcast lifts the bite.
Tap for details

About the fishing here

Rakaia River is a river in Canterbury, South Island.

Popular catches here include Sea Trout, Chinook Salmon and Australian Salmon.

Sea Trout fishing is usually best around Mar-May, Oct-Nov. The best windows are usually dawn and dusk.

A national or regional fishing permit is generally required here. Check the local rules. Napp ranks the species above from the live weather, water temperature, season and time of day, so the order changes through the day.

Tips right now

Technique Start with a spoon for sea trout, the most likely catch right now.
Colour Low light: try red and black or firetiger for sea trout.
Depth The water is warm. Fish often sit deeper or in shade, work the cooler spots. Look towards deeper water.
Lure Spoon for sea trout: Coastal spoons.

Fishing permit

You need a fishing permit (fiskekort) to fish here. Buy it online:

About this water

Rakaia River

The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand. The Rakaia River has a mean flow of 203 cubic metres per second (7,200 cu ft/s) and a mean annual seven-day low flow of 87 m3/s (3,100 cu ft/s). In the 1850s, European settlers named it the Cholmondeley River, but this name lapsed into disuse. The name Rakaia comes from Māori "Ō Rakaia", meaning the place where people were arranged by ranks.

Read more on Wikipedia →

Map

Common questions

What fish can you catch at Rakaia River?

Popular catches here include Sea Trout, Chinook Salmon and Australian Salmon.

Do you need a fishing license at Rakaia River?

Usually yes. Most countries require a national or regional fishing permit. Check the local rules via the link on this page.

When is the best time to fish Rakaia River?

Sea Trout fishing is usually best around Mar-May, Oct-Nov. The best windows are usually dawn and dusk.

What is biting at Rakaia River right now?

Right now Sea Trout is the most likely catch, at about 51%.