Lake Waikaremoana
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Freshwater Fishing
Forum Name: Freshwater Fission
Forum Description: The place to discuss all matters related to freshwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=136578
Printed Date: 01 Jun 2026 at 6:23am
Topic: Lake Waikaremoana
Posted By: Hengemaster
Subject: Lake Waikaremoana
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2022 at 4:27pm
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Hi all, I am planning a trip down to Lake Waikaremoana in a couple of weeks and am planning on taking my 4m Stabicraft to access the remoter western end of the lake, where we are booked into huts. I was doing some research online and came across a thread on here from 2004 discussing the lake. The consensus seemed to be that towing a tralier boat in on the road in from Rotorua was not a good idea. But seeing as that was nearly 20 years ago now. Does anyone have an up to date intelligence that they can share? Has the quality of the road improved at all? Or is it still not a good idea? I know that its a gravel road and am anticipating that it will be long (110km I believe) and pretty slow, But is it doable/safe with a boat in tow? And would it be quicker or easier to come in from the southern route? Also where is the easiest place to launch and the safest place to leave a vehicle for 2 days? Additionally any advice people have regarding where and how to fish would be gratefully welcomed. Cheers, John
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Replies:
Posted By: Rainbow
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2022 at 6:57pm
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You are pretty game to leave a car and trailer unattended for a couple of days anywhere between Murupara and Tuai. Make sure your insurance is watertight. As for the fishing. The lake has a lot of weed in the shallows so mark a clear spot for night fishing. During the day fish with a sinking line and a Kilwell No1 in #6/8. When wet this fly perfectly represents the stick caddis of which the lake is full. Fish it right on the bottom and retrieve very slowly as these critters dont move fast. At night fish the same clear area with a big black fly also on the bottom and with a very slow retrieve for marauding browns. Cheers Rainbow
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Posted By: Snuffit.
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2022 at 8:00am
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I've towed my 4.3m Frewza in a few times. Camped at Mokau Landing giving boat access to the whole lake. Take a spare tyre or 2 for the boat and worth throwing in a spare gas can for boat and car and top up when you arrive. Only thing is, I'm not sure that the access points blocked by the locals over lockdown are unblocked so you'd want to check with F&G or DOC before you set off. If there are other campers present you'll have far fewer worries about your car, but anyway I wouldn't leave anything of value in it as a matter of course on a good day.
------------- You cant eat my toast fish |
Posted By: Hengemaster
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 1:10pm
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Thanks for the feedback guys. It seems the more I investigate the logistics of doing the trip to Waikaremoana, the more challenging it seems to become. I think it may just be a little more hassle that I am looking for and I may choose to do something similar on a more accessible lake. Perhaps Tarawera or Okataina. Would welcome any insights around fishing and camping these lakes. I am not really into jigging or trolling, More into polaroiding and drifting edges and weed beds. Or accessing remote tributaries and fishing these. But I do like the idea of fishing the Tarawera river as it flows our of the lake. And it looks like there is campsite over there. Any other options for accessing backcountry areas for fishing and camping by boat that I should consider? I have a feeling I am just going to end up on the big "O"
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Posted By: FarmerBrowne
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 9:33pm
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Re - Lake Tarawera - I thought the outlet campsite was closed due to issues there over the last few summers. There is a bookable campsite at Hot water beach and another smaller campsite at Humphries Bay - call DOC at Rotorua to see if anyone there answers the phone a provides you an update re camping. For a steer around fishing you can always contact F&G eastern region - the guys there are usually pretty helpful.
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Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2022 at 10:39pm
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Lake Rerewhakaaitu? I knew a guy who really rated that for camping and fishing the lake shore weed beds. Not one of the best known Rotorua lakes, but he loved it there. Okataina is a beautiful lake, but until the winter spawning congregation occurs in say May in the shallows at the main beach, my understanding it's more of a shooting head out over the weed beds and slow retrieve of a Booby or similar fly kind of fishery. That probably isn't you, if you like spotting cruising fish. If you based yourself in Turangi you could do the Big O, which still holds fantastic memories for me from the days when a double figure fish was a real possibility (unfortunately haven't been able to get there in the summer period for ages). For the kind of fishing it sounds like you like, hard to beat it, I would have thought. Only the old Lake Aniwhenua fishery rivalled it, I reckon. But in Turangi you could break it up by trying for huge brownies in the Tongariro - a really unique fishery in late summer, early autumn. A lot of walking for not much return, if you don't know what you're doing and the right spots to look for fish, though. That area would give you a chance to go back country a bit, if you felt like it.
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Posted By: bazza
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2022 at 9:15am
Before you fish the Tarewera outlet best you check if it is prohibited .... used to be & had signs to say so. Furthermore at the risk of being labelled a pessimist would be a good idea to check on the weed situation on Lake Aniwhenua beforehand, will largely depend on when it was last cleared
------------- When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!! |
Hengemaster wrote:Posted By: Bushkid03
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2022 at 7:06pm
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Waikaremoana is a gem thats for sure, we used to go there regularly, there aren't really any sizable "remote" tributaries but the Hoparuahine is always interesting. Outside of there there aren't many "boatable remote lakes" with stalking opertunities. Lake O is well known but not really remote. Another option is the western side of lake Taupo, with numerous small tributaries that offer some stalking opertunities as well as camping and some epic stream mouth fishing. Even, if discreetly done, the Tongariro delta can be a fun weekend. |
Posted By: Hengemaster
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2022 at 6:25pm
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Thanks again everyone. Pick up my mate from Aus from the airport tomorrow and then we're straight off down to Tauranga for kingies tomorrow till Monday and for once when I have boat trip planned, the weather seems like it might play ball and give me a clear, low wind day for spotting on the flats.
Then predictably on to Turangi to fish Otamangakau, which I never have fished from a boat. Its also the first trip for my little Stabicraft in freshwater, where I think it may be more at home than out on the ocean (although it manages fine). For those that know or care about such things, its the little 389 Matt Watson signature center consul one, the one he fished from and caught an NZ black marlin in the classic Marlin from a Tinnie episode. Its a great wee boat, but I do think that it might have been designed around the specifications of little Matt (no offence mate, if you're out there) I however am 6 ft 2. Will of course fish the Tongariro and maybe other rivers and really want catch a big brown, had 2 good ones last year at around this time of year. So much so, I've booked a AirBnB 100 m from the Hydro pool for ease of night fishing access. I have to admit being a bit daunted by lake Taupo, but on a fine day maybe. Middle of the week looks less favorable weather-wise but we'll see what it brings. Game on |
Posted By: Fishb8
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2022 at 9:58am
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The Big O My longest fight was fishing from the outlet canal about 200 M upstream of the dam. It was late January 1993 after a cool spell and a breezy day with a SW wind . I took a rake head and a rope and made several clear-ways through the weeds. Started with 6 lb leader and a Muddler Minnow dry fly. Got broken a couple of times when big rainbows smashed the fly so put 10 lb on then landed several 6-8 lb rainbows, moving to my cleared spots. Then, I saw a bow wave moving through the weed edge towards my fly and a soft take. A Brown? This fish wasn't going to break me off but it just started heading upstream and I couldn't stop it so had to get out of water and run up the bank towards it. Got level with it and rod was U-shaped but I just couldn't turn it, then it headed upstream again. An exact repeat of my first run towards it. It stopped but couldn't get it towards me so eased off pressure to let it get closer to one of my weed-free spots. However, now it just wouldn't stop and well into backing so got level again and decided to just keep a heavy pressure on it. After about 15 minutes it changed strategy and just swam across the canal and went straight into the weeds and snagged me. I kept pressure on for a while but realised it had got the better of me so held rod flat and broke off my line at the knot. At no time in the 45 minutes did I ever turn the fish or make any progress, whatsoever. It never jumped, What a fish!! I've landed a 100+ kg marlin in 5 minutes but that Brownie well and truly beat me and I always wondered just how big it was. ------------- Be yourself; everyone else is already taken |