Freestone · Mixed Sedimentary · Otago

Pomahaka River

Pomahaka River terrain map

The Pomahaka is one of West Otago's best-kept brown-trout rivers — a friendly Clutha tributary with long glides and runs and a reliable afternoon mayfly hatch, fished much like the Mataura.

Poor · Brown Trout
Hare & Copper Nymph · 12-16
Closed season
Season reopens 1 October. Plenty of other water available now.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Flow18.5 m³/sLast reading 20h ago
  • Water temp7.5°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Hare & Copper Nymph
Hare & Copper Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Flow
Steady
18.5 m³/s
Last reading 20h ago
Water temp7.5°C
ClarityClear
Weather3°C
WindSW 26 km/h
Pressure1003 hPa
Rain · recent0.2 mm
Rain · ahead15.3 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How these readings are sourced

Weather-only: no live gauge wired. Colours after rain — best falling and clearing.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
8°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 · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 2 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July 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
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 — a Fish & Game licence is required
  • Check the current Anglers Notice
  • Check Clean Dry (didymo present)
  • Respect private-land access.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 1
Mataura River
30 km
Brown trout
About this water

The Pomahaka is one of West Otago's best-kept brown-trout rivers — a friendly Clutha tributary with long glides and runs and a reliable afternoon mayfly hatch, fished much like the Mataura. Time your day to the rise, sight-nymph the runs between hatches, and add summer terrestrials. Best low and clear.

Under the surface

The Pomahaka winds out of the Umbrella and Old Man ranges through the tussock and farmland of West Otago to join the Clutha, an unhurried river of gravel runs, willow glides and a famous afternoon mayfly rise. Brown-trout water of real quality, less pressured than its bigger neighbours.

Wading: Slick gravel, didymo, colour after rain

  • River
  • Mixed sedimentary
  • Unconfined
  • Pool riffle
  • Glide
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature57 × 28%16.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity38 × 12%4.6
Conditions total= 66
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
What would change the calculation
Warmer water — toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the temperature score.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 October → 30 April (upper) / year-round (lower)

    Otago Fish & Game licence required. Legal status: guidance_not_permission.

Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts