Time to look further afield
Winter is one of the best times to fish the Rotorua lakes. Discover where to target trophy trout, including the unique Tiger Trout of Lake Rotomā, plus expert tips, winter hotspots and why the 2025/26 season has been one of the best in decades.
by Fish and Game NZ
July signals the end of the season for boat fishing on lakes Rotoiti, Tarawera and Okataina, but not for the rest of Rotorua’s thirteen lakes.
Winter fishing can be enormously rewarding and a great time to explore new locations and try new methods. There are lots of opportunities, and where you go simply depends on what you want to try and what you want to catch!
Lake Rotoma is a popular fishery over winter. It features deep water prospects for anglers who like to jig, softbait and troll, but the big drawcard here is Tiger trout! This sterile hybrid species produced at the Ngongotaha hatchery is exclusive to the lake. While tigers can grow to impressive sizes, most are in the 1.5-2.5kg range. Rather, it’s the challenge to simply catch one of these unique trout, with their bronze flanks, and in some cases marbled patterns. Although tigers can be caught trolling and jigging, casting and retrieving bibbed lures or flies into shallow structure and in around weed beds and shoreline raupo is proved to be the best method.
Other popular winter fisheries include Lake Rotorua, which actually produces one of New Zealand’s best catch rates, all year round. Shallow trolling with a Tassie Devil and smelt fly combo at most locations around the lake will result in fish . Winter and early spring can also be a good time to blind fish deep spin lures or flies over the edge of the lakes' steeper shelves. The river mouths are also highly productive, with fish congregating for spawning right up to November. Try the Ngongotaha and Waiteti mouths early morning or late evening right into the darkness.
Okareka, Rotoehu, Rerewhakaaitu and the little lakes Okaro and Ngapouri also offer good opportunities for trout in locations with a variety of vistas.
Looking back on the 2025/26 season, we’ve seen the best-sized fish, especially from Lake Tarawera, that we have seen in over two decades. Double-figure rainbows are now being caught with some regularity, and the overall average fish size and condition for all the lakes has been excellent. The new season for boat anglers commences on October 1, and all signs are for a continuation of good fish size.
NIWA is predicting a transition to El Nino conditions this winter for the Bay of Plenty, which is likely to result in lower than normal rainfall, southwesterly winds but average temperatures – all good conditions for getting out and about onto the Rotorua lakes.
Finally, don’t forget, this is an ideal time to get those overdue service jobs on the boat completed, fit that new fish finder, check the wheel bearings on your trailer and fix any niggling issues before the new season kicks off. After all, October isn’t far away!
