Fishing

Fishing is a popular activity within the Waimakariri River Regional Park. Whether it's river run salmon or trout, surfcasting or trying your luck at whitebaiting, anglers can be seen throughout the park from the river mouth at Brooklands up as far as the Waimakariri Gorge.

Please check notices and events for the latest information or like our Facebook page to stay up to date.

GPS locations

We provide the best fishing locations by GPS. You can find the coordinates by downloading this table. 

Fishing access

Some sections of the park are closed to public vehicle access. If you have a current Fish & Game licence you can obtain a key to access the river for fishing with a vehicle. Breaches of the conditions of issue will result in confiscation of your key or refusal to supply a key for the following season.

The Fish & Game Key is for exclusive use under Fish & Game regulations. Use of the key to access Environment Canterbury Parks for whitebaiting and all other forms of non-acclimatised fishing is strictly prohibited.

Contact us for more information. 

Wheelchair and blind anglers' fishing access

A wheelchair and blind anglers' fishing access platform is available at McIntoshs. Please contact us for a key. Users must hold a current fishing licence.

Breaches of the conditions of issue will result in confiscation of your key or refusal to supply a key for the following season. 

Tread carefully

While fishing keep an eye out for riverbed birds such as the wrybill (pictured here), black-fronted tern, black-billed gull and banded dotterel. These birds feed, nest and sleep at ground level.

Recreational users can cause unintentional damage and disturbance to the birds causing nest failure. 

If you see birds sitting on the ground or behaving unusually, please leave the immediate area in case you're in the breeding territory. It is also important to prevent dogs from chasing or scent-tracing riverbed birds. Read more about birdlife in the area in this brochure.