Fish & Game Council Change Opening Day Dates

The opening of the Eastern Fish and Game’s trout season for 2023 has been changed back to the traditional time of October 1, regardless of what day that falls on.

Council resolved at a recent meeting to change the opening date of the trout fishing season for lakes Rotoiti, Okataina and Tarawera back to the original date of October 1 to fit in with the opening days for most of the other Fish and Game regions.

In 2020 the Council changed the regulations, moving the 2021 opening day from its traditional place in the calendar on October 1 to the first Saturday in October. The change only applied to lakes Rotoiti, Okataina and Tarawera and was made to improve participation, but it wasn’t popular with anglers. 

The trout season opens on October 1 for most of New Zealand’s waters, with a few locations opening later for biological reasons. 

The Rotorua lakes attract thousands of fishers throughout the year, with several lakes remaining open to fishing all year round. Opening day is the most popular of the year. 

– Eastern F&G