Fishing near Te Anau, Southland

Te Anau sits at the southern end of Lake Te Anau in Fiordland, Southland, and is the base for some of the South Island's most productive trout fishing. The lake itself is right on the doorstep, and within a short drive lie the Waiau, Mararoa, Whitestone, and Eglinton rivers, along with Lake Manapouri. Brown and rainbow trout are the target species, drawing both spin and fly anglers from around the world.

Top waters to fish near Te Anau

Species & education

Learn what type of fish are in Te Anau, Southland and what's needed to catch them.

Find which waters have the species you want to catch

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta

Common Smelt

Retropinna retropinna

European Perch

Perca fluviatilis

New Zealand Longfin Eel

Anguilla dieffenbachii

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Short-finned Eel

Anguilla australis

Climbing Galaxias

Galaxias brevipinnis

Blue Cod

Parapercis colias

Conger Eel

Conger verreauxi

Hapuku

Polyprion oxygeneios

Jack Mackerel

Trachurus declivis

Leatherjacket

Meuschenia scaber

Sea Perch

Helicolenus percoides

Sevengill Shark

Notorynchus cepedianus

Spiny Dogfish

Squalus acanthias

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Whether you're en route and conditions shift or you're looking for the best spot based on current flows, we enable you to make informed decisions on the fly.