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Waiau River
The Waiau was once the mighty river of Southland in both volume and power, but
now due to demands for more electricity, the main source of the Waiau watershed has been directed through a tunnel at the western end of Lake Manapouri and the water discharged into the sea at Deep Cove on the
Fiordland Coast.
The Waiau River runs mainly is a north-south direction, some 112 km in length flowing from Lake Te Anau through Lake Manapuori and thence through open country, some bush-clad gorges and
pastoral country to the sea.
Because of the much lower water flow now, it is natural to expect a decline in trout populations, but the river still has adequate stocks of both brown and rainbow trout which
rise freely, especially during the evenings. It is important to note that since the transformation of the Waiau, the trout now tend to feed in certain pockets of a pool or ripple. Once an angler has found one of
these feed areas, good sport is usually assured.
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Information courtesy of and excerpted from
Southland Fish and Game Council's book
"Trout Fishing in Southland New Zealand"
an invaluable publication containing 90 pages
of river and lake information, maps, access
points and strategic recommendations.
This publication is available from:
Southland Fish & Game Council
P.O. Box 159
Invercargill, New Zealand
Phone: 64-3-214-4501
Fax: 64-3-214-4352
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