Lake Tarawera Rotorua: Trout Fishing, Access and the Scenic Reserve

Last updated October 2026

Lake Tarawera, under Mount Tarawera about 17.5 km from Rotorua, is one of Fish & Game’s trophy trout lakes: deep, very clear and cold, and known for the quality of its rainbow trout. Most fishing is from a boat, trolling or jigging deep in summer, while fly anglers work the stream mouths and western shoreline in the cooler months.

The main season runs from 1 October to 30 June, with two shoreline areas open all year. All the streams flowing into the lake are closed, and so is the Tarawera Outlet Spawning Sanctuary, about 150 m of the river below the outlet, where no fishing and no boats are allowed at any time.

At a Glance

Location

Tarawera Road off SH30; Tarawera Landing is 17.5 km from Rotorua

Main species

Rainbow trout, with a few brown trout

Season

1 October to 30 June; two winter shoreline areas open all year

Methods

Fly and spin only; no bait

Closed

All inflowing streams and the Tarawera Outlet Spawning Sanctuary

Licence

Fish & Game licence (valid everywhere except Taupō)

Boat access

Spencer Road at The Landing: three ramps, toilets and a café

Night rule

No fishing between midnight and 5am

Dogs

Not allowed in the Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve or on the Tarawera Trail

Rules

Fish & Game Eastern Region

Setting and Background

Tarawera fills part of the Haroharo Caldera and is fed by seven other lakes, including Ōkāreka through the Waitangi Springs and Rotokākahi through the Te Wairoa Stream.

Geothermal springs rise through the lakebed near the south-western shore, and the lake drains east into the Tarawera River. The water is low in nutrients and very clear, and most of the catchment is native forest and scrub.

Mount Tarawera erupted at about 10pm on 10 June 1886. Around 120 people died, six settlements were buried and the Pink and White Terraces on Lake Rotomahana disappeared.

Tūhourangi and Ngāti Rangitihi had hosted visitors at the Terraces through the 1800s, and survivors walked 17 km to Tikitapu. DOC describes the Tarawera Trail as a return of the people to their land and the birthplace of tourism in New Zealand.

The lakebed belongs to the Te Arawa Lakes Trust, set up under the Te Arawa Lakes Settlement in 2006, which acts as kaitiaki of the Rotorua lakebeds.

The land around much of the shore is the Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve, run by DOC. Public access is free from Tarawera Landing; the Kawerau side is reached only on private forestry roads with a permit.

Fish & Game runs a hatchery-supported fishery here and uses Tarawera trout for its breeding programme. On opening day 2025, two-year-old trout released the previous autumn averaged about 2.4 kg, and the heaviest fish weighed that day came from Tarawera at 3.7 kg. Fish & Game says its trophy lakes regularly produce fish over 5 kg.

How to Fish Lake Tarawera

Trolling and jigging

Trolling is the most popular method, especially in the warmer months, when trout go deep below the thermocline. You need more than 100 m of lead-core line or a downrigger to reach 20 to 30 metres.

Lead-core line sinks roughly 1.5 m per colour. Jigging is growing in popularity: use non-stretch line, a fish finder, and a rig of flies above a 30 to 60 g sinker. Shallow trolling works from April to December and on cool days.

Shore and fly fishing

Shore fishing is mostly around the western bays, where roads reach the lake. Good spots include The Landing, Rangiuru Bay, Waitangi Bay and the Te Wairoa Stream mouth, where only female trout may be taken within 200 m of the marker.

From April and May the big rainbows move into the shallows before spawning, and this can carry on into July or August. After 30 June only the two winter shoreline areas stay open (see the rules below). Dark, wet nights with a little wind are best.

• Lines: a fast-sinking line by day and a slow to medium sinking line at night.
• Day flies: streamers such as Red Setter, Hamill’s Killer, Green Rabbit and Parsons’ Glory, or a nymph under an indicator.
• Night flies: Boobies, lumo Dolls, or black marabou patterns with a touch of colour.
• Spinners: Black Toby, Tasmanian Devil, Flatfish and Cobra.
• Summer dries: cicada, blowfly and wasp patterns.

Getting There and Facilities

• Road: Tarawera Landing is 17.5 km from Rotorua via Tarawera Road off SH30, past Lake Tikitapu.
• Boat ramps: Spencer Road at the western end has three ramps, public toilets and a café.
• Water taxis: run from The Landing to Te Rātā / Hot Water Beach.
• Tarawera Trail: a 16 km advanced walk from the Te Wairoa car park to Te Rātā / Hot Water Beach, taking 5 to 6 hours, with toilets and a picnic area at Hawaiki Bay. Totally Tarawera runs a water taxi for trail walkers.
• Tarawera Falls: reached through Kawerau on forestry roads; you need a permit from the Kawerau i-SITE.
• Dogs: not allowed in the Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve or on the Tarawera Trail.
• More to do: for Hot Water Beach, the Tarawera Trail and the reserve, see our Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve guide.

Rules and Safety

Fishing rules

• Licence: a Fish & Game licence, valid throughout New Zealand except the Taupō fishery. Carry it while fishing. A cheaper winter licence is available from April.
• Season: 1 October to 30 June for the whole lake. Fly and spin only; bait is not allowed.
• Winter areas: two shoreline areas are open all year, out to 200 m offshore: from the Tarawera Outlet marker to the Te Tapahoro Bay marker at the eastern end, and from The Landing marker to the Otumutu Lagoon marker. From 1 July to 1 October you cannot fish from a boat in these areas.
• Closed waters: every stream flowing into the lake is closed, and so is the Tarawera Outlet Spawning Sanctuary, about 150 m of the Tarawera River from the outlet to the footbridge. It is closed at all times and no boat may pass through it.
• Boats: no fishing from an unanchored boat within 200 m of a marker, and no more than two anchors.
• Hours: no fishing between midnight and 5am.
• Limits: the Eastern Region Anglers Notice sets a minimum size and bag limits for the Rotorua lakes. Check them before you fish.

On the water

• Bay of Plenty Regional Council requires everyone on a recreational boat of 6 m or less to wear a lifejacket while it is moving.
• Gold clam is an unwanted organism. Self-certify at the ramp that your boat and trailer are free of pest plants and fish, and if your boat has been in the Waikato River in the last 30 days, clean it at a designated wash station first.
• Localised blue-green algae can occur in summer. Check LAWA and Health NZ alerts.
• Lake and stream water may contain arsenic. Do not drink it untreated.

Tackle and Bait Nearby

• Hunting & Fishing Rotorua, 360 Te Ngae Road, Lynmore.
• Fish & Game Eastern Region, Ngongotahā Hatchery, 1130 Paradise Valley Road: regional office and advice. Licences can be bought online.

Official Sources for Lake Tarawera

Common Questions

When is the fishing season on Lake Tarawera?
1 October to 30 June for the whole lake. Two shoreline areas, The Landing to Otumutu Lagoon and the Outlet to Te Tapahoro Bay, are open all year.

Can you fish at the Tarawera Outlet?
Not in the Tarawera Outlet Spawning Sanctuary, about 150 m of river from the outlet to the footbridge. It is closed at all times and boats may not pass through it.

Can you use bait on Lake Tarawera?
No. Lake Tarawera is fly and spin only.

What licence do I need?
A Fish & Game licence, which is valid everywhere in New Zealand except the Taupō fishery.

How big are the trout in Lake Tarawera?
Two-year-old fish averaged about 2.1 to 2.4 kg on opening day 2025, and Fish & Game says its trophy lakes regularly produce fish over 5 kg.

How do you catch trout in summer?
Troll or jig deep, 20 to 30 metres down, with lead-core line, a downrigger or a jigging rig.

Where can I launch a boat?
From the ramps on Spencer Road at Tarawera Landing, which also has toilets and a café.

Can I bring my dog?
Not into the Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve or onto the Tarawera Trail.

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