Lake Ōkataina Opens With Controls

Lake Ōkataina Opens with Controls

On the 10th November the NZ Fish & Game Council advised:

We are pleased to let you know that Lake Ōkataina in the Rotorua region will be officially open from today (10th November) from 12pm for angling from boats for three days a week Friday to Sunday 6:30am-7:00pm.

However, please note Lake Ōkataina will not be accessible for boats until tomorrow 6:30am Saturday 11th November after access to the boat ramp has been cleared. For shoreline fishing, waders will need to undergo washing as part of the new protections under the Controlled Area Notice (CAN). It should be noted that any fishers who have been in the Waikato River and lakes are required under law to appropriately check, clean and dry boats and equipment before moving to another waterway. Advice on this can be found here.

Biosecurity New Zealand, which closed the lake to fishing in October, has established a permanent wash station on 338 Te Ngae Rd (SH30) at The Wash Place in Rotorua next to the Gull Service Station to enable vessels and trailers to wash down before entering the lake, which is also a legal requirement under the new CAN.

You can find out what this means for anglers here.