Stillwater · Volcanic · Bay of Plenty, NZ

Lake Tarawera

Panoramic view of Lake Tarawera with geothermal steam rising near the shoreline

Tarawera is the trophy lake of the Rotorua district — deep, clear and cooler than Rotorua, it grows the biggest rainbows around, fish that hold over the cold springs and run the tributaries in season.

Fair · Rainbow
Hare & Copper Nymph · 12–16
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Glassy and bright — hard work without a breeze. Hard work without breeze. Look for the dimples.
49% confidence
limited data

Lake Tarawera is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 29 km/hModerate breeze · Gusts to 69 km/h
Today's fly
Hare & Copper Nymph
Hare & Copper Nymph12–16
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze · Gusts to 69 km/h
SW 29 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp9.0°C
Air temp10°C
CloudClear
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

How these readings are sourced

Weather-only: no live gauge. Read wind, water temperature and the cold-water springs/mouths.

Head to
Wind driftSW wind
North-eastern end

A southwesterly has held for 6 hours at much the same temperature as the 9°C water. No thermal steer either way, but the drift still stacks food against the north-eastern end — the bank it is blowing into — so start there. This reads the upper water, though — a bottom bait at range feels it far less than a floater or a fish in the margins. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
No strong hatch signals at the moment — general searching tactics should work best.
Where
Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brown BeetleHatch
2
3
2
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
1
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Eastern Fish & Game region — a Fish & Game licence is required (NOT a DOC Taupō licence)
  • Check the current Eastern region Anglers Notice.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
50%
Cloud25%
Wind30%
Temp100%

A reasonable day here, though cloud isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 2
Lake Rotorua
19 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Lake Rotoiti (Bay of Plenty)
19 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Panoramic view of Lake Tarawera with geothermal steam rising near the shoreline
    Lake Tarawera, Bay of Plenty
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Much of it is boat-access fishing, jigging and trolling the drop-offs and working the stream mouths and the hot-water beaches, with fly fishing the cold-water inflows. A scenic, big-fish lake under a famous mountain.

Under the surface

A deep, clear lake beneath the riven dome of Mount Tarawera, whose 1886 eruption reshaped this whole country. Cooler and deeper than its neighbours, it grows the largest rainbows of the district, fish that hold over the cold springs and gather at the stream mouths and the famous hot-water beaches.

Wading: Deep cold lake, sudden weather, boat access fishing — caution

Hatches & food

A successful spring smelt spawning run is directly linked by Fish & Game to well-conditioned trout later in the year — the lake's food base is baitfish-led rather than insect-led, and no separate hatch calendar has been documented.

  • Lake
  • Volcanic
  • Stillwater
  • River mouth
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout year-round → year-round

    Eastern Fish & Game licence required (not DOC Taupō). Legal status: guidance_not_permission.

Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Lake Tarawera is a lake in Bay of Plenty — Rotorua lakes (Eastern Fish & Game), New Zealand. The catchment geology is recorded as volcanic, and the water sits at about 298 m above sea level. Species listed for this water: rainbow trout and brown trout. The trout season is recorded as running from year-round to year-round. Best window recorded for anglers: Year-round; cold-water inflows and stream mouths through the warmer months, runs in the cooler months. Core methods listed: Boat jigging / trolling; Stream-mouth and spring fly-fishing; Lake-edge wet-fly. Nearby waters in our listings include Lake Rotorua at 19 km and Lake Rotoiti (Bay of Plenty) at 19 km.