Last updated October 2026
Waimatuku Stream, also known locally as the Waimatuku River, is a small spring-fed stream that runs south across the Southland Plains west of Invercargill and reaches the sea at the western end of Oreti Beach. It holds brown trout, and Fish & Game Southland manages it with its own season split at the Rance Road bridge: the water below the bridge is open all year. Most of the stream runs through private farmland, so plan your access before you go.
Waimatuku Stream at a Glance
- Location
- Southland Plains west of Invercargill; mouth at the western end of Oreti Beach
- Type
- Small spring-fed lowland stream through farmland
- Water
- Fresh
- Main species
- Brown trout
- Season
- Upstream of Rance Road bridge: 1 October to 30 April. Downstream of the bridge: all year
- Methods
- Fly, spin and bait
- Access
- Public road bridges and Fish & Game signed access; landowner permission elsewhere
- Licence
- Fish & Game licence needed
- Rules
- Fish & Game Southland sports fishing regulations
- Facilities
- None at the stream; nearest shops in Riverton or Invercargill
No tides here: the spring-fed stream keeps a fairly steady flow, with few floods or very low flows.
What to Expect
The Waimatuku rises near Heddon Bush and is fed by springs and by Bayswater bog. DOC describes it as a gentle stream with a fairly constant flow and few floods or very low flows. That steady flow is what sets it apart from the rain-fed rivers nearby, which can colour up for days after a storm.
Above the Rance Road bridge the stream is a narrow, straightened channel along a tree line. Below the bridge it meanders tightly south-west through farmland towards the coast, with paddocks on both banks.
The Waimatuku is one of DOC’s Ngā Awa river restoration catchments, and DOC published a baseline report on it in 2024. An eDNA survey for that work found brown trout at the Rance Road bridge, the Fraser Road bridge and the Waimatuku Township Road bridge, along with īnanga, eels, lamprey and flounder.
The mouth marks the western end of the Oreti Mātaitai Reserve, which runs along Oreti Beach from the Waimatuku to the New River Estuary.
How to Fish Waimatuku Stream
Where and when
The three road bridges where DOC found trout (Rance Road, Fraser Road and Waimatuku Township Road) are the obvious places to start, because they are public.
Below the Rance Road bridge the stream is open all year, which makes it one of the waters near Invercargill you can fish through winter. Above the bridge the season is 1 October to 30 April.
Reading the water
This is small water. Look for trout on the outside of the bends in the meandering lower reaches, where the current cuts under the bank, and in any deeper, slower runs.
Walk softly and keep low: in a narrow stream the fish see and feel you long before you see them. Because the flow is steady, the stream is often worth a look when the bigger rivers are high and dirty after rain.
Methods
Fly, spin and bait are all allowed. A light rod suits the size of the stream. Ask at a tackle shop in Invercargill or Riverton for the flies and lures that are working on the lowland streams this season.
Getting There and Facilities
- Road: the stream crosses the Southland Plains between Invercargill and Riverton. Rance Road, Fraser Road and Waimatuku Township Road all bridge it.
- Access: the banks are mostly private farmland. Fish from public road bridges and Fish & Game signed access points, and ask the landowner before crossing paddocks. Leave gates as you find them and keep clear of stock.
- Facilities: there are none at the stream. Riverton and Invercargill have shops, fuel and food.
Rules and Safety
- You need a Fish & Game licence. The Southland Sports Fishing Regulations set the season, methods and limits for the Waimatuku and its tributaries.
- Current seasons: upstream of the Rance Road bridge, 1 October to 30 April; downstream of the Rance Road bridge to the sea, all year. Fly, spin and bait are allowed.
- Trout within 500 m of the mouth also come under the Fish & Game rules, so a licence is needed there too.
- The sea coast from the Waimatuku mouth east along Oreti Beach is the Oreti Mātaitai Reserve, where commercial fishing is banned. Check MPI’s rules before taking shellfish or sea fish there.
- Salmon may not be taken from any Southland river in April or May.
- Some Southland waters carry didymo. Check, clean and dry your gear between rivers.
Official Sources
Fish & Game Southland regulations: the current season split at the Rance Road bridge, methods and limits.
DOC: Waimatuku Stream restoration: the catchment, its springs and the Ngā Awa restoration work.
Environment Southland water levels: live river levels and rainfall for Southland.
Common Questions
Are there trout in the Waimatuku Stream?
Yes. A DOC eDNA survey found brown trout at the Rance Road bridge, the Fraser Road bridge and the Waimatuku Township Road bridge.
When is the Waimatuku open for fishing?
Under the current regulations, the stream below the Rance Road bridge is open all year. Above the bridge the season runs from 1 October to 30 April.
Do I need a licence?
Yes. You need a Fish & Game licence to fish for trout in the Waimatuku, including within 500 m of the mouth.
Can I use bait?
Yes. Fly, spin and bait are all allowed on the Waimatuku.
Where can I get onto the stream?
Start at the public road bridges and any Fish & Game signed access. Most of the banks are private farmland, so ask the landowner before you cross paddocks.
Is it the Waimatuku Stream or the Waimatuku River?
Both names are used. DOC calls it the Waimatuku Stream; you will also hear and see Waimatuku River, including in the Oreti Mātaitai notice.
Is the Waimatuku worth fishing after rain?
Often, yes. It is spring-fed with a fairly steady flow, so it tends to stay fishable when the larger rain-fed rivers are high and coloured.
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