Spate · Granite · Nelson / West Coast, NZ

Buller River / Kawatiri

Buller River / Kawatiri — 00 1294 Buller River - New Zealand
Poor · Brown Trout
Hare & Copper Nymph · 12-16
Closed season
Season reopens 1 October. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level1.89 mLast reading 19h ago
  • Water temp14.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Hare & Copper Nymph
Hare & Copper Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.89 m
Last reading 19h ago
Water temp14.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather15°C
WindW 11 km/h
Pressure1024 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead15.8 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

How these readings are sourced

Weather-only: no live gauge wired. Spate river — fishability is driven by falling/clearing flow after rain. Stale data is dangerous here; conditions change fast.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Ideal
14°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11:00

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 7 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
Deleatidium / NZ Mayfly DunHatch
3
3
3
3
2
2
3
3
3
Large Dark MayflyHatch
3
3
2
2
3
Burrowing Mayfly / Green MayflyHatch
3
2
2
Caddis / SedgeHatch
3
3
3
2
2
3

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Brown Trout
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Fish & Game regions (the system spans both) — a Fish & Game licence is required
  • Check the current Anglers Notice
  • Check Clean Dry (didymo present).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Gallery · 2
  1. Buller River / Kawatiri — 00 1294 Buller River - New Zealand
    00 1294 Buller River - New Zealand
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time45 × 13%5.9
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity28 × 12%3.4
Conditions total= 78
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 October (main river); some back-country 1 November → 30 April (back-country) / year-round (lower)

    Nelson-Marlborough / West Coast Fish & Game licence required. Legal status: guidance_not_permission.

Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts