Freestone · Schist · Otago, NZ

Clutha / Mata-Au

Clutha / Mata-Au — On the Clutha River at Albert Town

The Clutha / Mata-Au is the big stable giant of the South Island — New Zealand's largest river by flow, lake-fed from Wānaka and Hāwea and held by the Clyde and Roxburgh dams, so it runs big and clear where rain-fed rivers blow out.

Good · Brown Trout
Hare & Copper Nymph · 12–16
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Flow763.2 cumecsLast reading 4h ago
  • Water temp7.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Hare & Copper Nymph
Hare & Copper Nymph12–16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Flow
Steady
763.2 cumecs
Last reading 4h ago
Water temp7.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather2°C
WindE 10 km/h
Pressure995 hPa
Rain · recent9.3 mm
Rain · ahead3.7 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. Lake-fed and dam-regulated — flow is governed by lake levels and hydro operation, not recent rain. Watch for sudden dam-driven level changes.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
7°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.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is working for you, but insect activity is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Chironomids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

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

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Deleatidium / NZ Mayfly DunHatch
3
3
3
3
2
2
3
3
3
Burrowing Mayfly / Green MayflyHatch
3
2
2
Caddis / SedgeHatch
3
3
3
2
2
3
Cased Caddis / CreeperHatch
3
3
3
2
2
3
3

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Otago Fish & Game region — a Fish & Game licence is required
  • Beware dam-controlled flow changes
  • Check the current Anglers Notice
  • Check Clean Dry (didymo present).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Gallery · 2
  1. Clutha / Mata-Au — On the Clutha River at Albert Town
    On the Clutha River at Albert Town
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

It holds large brown and rainbow trout, fished from the wadeable margins, the side-braids and the slower edges rather than the heavy main flow. A powerful river to be respected; its size and regulation make it a reliable option when others are out.

Under the surface

New Zealand's largest river by volume, the Clutha / Mata-Au pours green and powerful out of Lakes Wānaka and Hāwea and drives through the schist gorges and orchards of Central Otago to the Pacific. Lake-fed and dam-held, it runs big and stable where lesser rivers rise and fall, its margins and side-braids holding large brown and rainbow trout.

Wading: Very powerful big river current, dam controlled level changes — wade margins only, great care

Hatches & food

Fish & Game describe the lower river's invertebrate community as predominantly mayflies and caddis — mayfly hatches run midday into late afternoon across the open season, with an evening caddis rise particularly strong in early summer; exact monthly boundaries are an interpretation rather than a stated hatch calendar.

  • River
  • Schist
  • Partly confined
  • Large river
  • Glide
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 69 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature54 × 28%15.1
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity35 × 12%4.2
Conditions total= 69
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Warmer water — toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the temperature score.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout year-round (most reaches) → year-round

    Otago Fish & Game licence required. Dam-controlled flows — safety note. Legal status: guidance_not_permission.

Related guides
Fly Fishing on New Zealand's South Islandfeatured in this guideEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Clutha / Mata-Au is a freestone river in Otago — Central Otago (Otago Fish & Game), New Zealand. Its recorded elevation is about 140 m above sea level and the catchment geology is schist. Our data lists brown trout and rainbow trout here. Best window recorded for anglers: October–April; year-round in the lower reaches. Stable through rain. Core methods listed: Edge and side-braid nymphing; Streamer / swung wet fly; Dry-dropper on the margins. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 2 gauges.