Harper River - Lake Coleridge - Trout Fly Fishing - Salmon Spin Fishing - New Zealand Fly Fishing

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Harper River End of Lake Coleridge

View over the Harper River, at the head of Lake Coleridge, in the Canterbury high country. You can see three people standing next to a boat at the harbour entrance. Note the typical chop on the lake surface caused by the mountains on either site funneling the wind along the length of this long narrow lake.
Lake Coleridge Trout Fishing Map
Landlock quinnat salmon are released into Lake Coleridge by the North Canterbury Fish and Game Council. The odds on catching a salmon are very high; with Fish and Game releasing on average 100,000 salmon fry a year into Lake Coleridge, and a further 10,000 yearling rainbow trout into the surrounding lakes. The salmon in Lake Coleridge don't grow very large because the food supply for them is not great. There are no smelt fish in Lake Coleridge as there are in the central North Island lakes. But they fight well and are excellent to eat. Good fly fishing with feathered lures at night where the Harper River flows into Lake Coleridge. NIWA's Gavin James with a bit on Land-locked quinnat salmon.

View looking towards the Harper River inlet at Lake Coleridge from O'Rourkes Fan in mid winter. At this time of year the lake is often devoid of the summer nor'wester. It makes a great day trip in winter with good fishing from shore or boat.
The landlocked quinnat salmon mostly weigh around a couple of pounds - though you do get the odd larger one! There are also larger rainbow and brown trout in the lake. Most fish are taken trolling from boats, or spin fishing from shore. When headed to Lake Coleridge it is always a good idea to take extra fishing tackle and be prepared to fish from shore should the lake be too rough to launch your boat - which often happens even on Opening Weekend. Lake Coleridge Opening Weekend. You may be interested in fishing nearby: Trout Fishing Lake Georgina in the Canterbury high country. Lake Selfe Harling, Fly Fishing and Spin Fishing, and Trolling and Fly Fishing on Lake Rotoma in the North Island. See also: Trolling for Trout and Salmon on Lake Coleridge. Go to the main page about: fishing in Lake Coleridge. Near by Lake Georgina. Return to: Trout Near Christchurch