The approach of winter has got Fish & Game and anglers geared up for the trout spawning season which typically kicks off in April.

When trout spawn they come into shoreline sites around the lakes and move up streams to lay their eggs and it is a busy time for Fish & Game staff who monitor fish size and capture prime trout for collecting eggs for the Ngongotaha Trout Hatchery.

Fish & Game operate two fish traps around the Rotorua lakes, one on the Ngongotaha Stream and another at Te Wairoa on Lake Tarawera.

Fish & Game Officer Matt Osborne said “The Ngongotaha Stream trap is used to monitor trout size and population numbers from Lake Rotorua and Rotoiti, and collect brown trout eggs that are used for stocking throughout the North Island. A good run of rainbow trout has been noted through the Ngongotaha Stream trap following rain in the last week with smallish but good conditioned fish up to 2.2kg”.

This has also meant anglers are fishing the stream intensively as they target these rainbow trout and larger brown trout as they move up from the lake.

The other fish trap operated by Fish & Game catches quality Lake Tarawera trout and the best of these are selected for the selective breeding programme operated at the Ngongotaha hatchery. “We take about the best 10% of the fish coming through the Te Wairoa trap each year to get fertilised eggs for raising in the hatchery. The heaviest and latest maturing fish are selected, and their offspring are released back into the lakes a year after we take the eggs” Mr Osborne said. The Te Wairoa trap operates from April 1 until August 31 and anglers fishing at the Te Wairoa Stream mouth are also encouraged to donate large fish by putting them through the slot in the front of the trap.

“Anglers catching large fish can donate them for breeding and by contacting us the following day we can let them know how the fish will be used” Mr Osborne said.

Fish & Game collect around 250,000 eggs each year for stocking lakes throughout the north island.

ENDS

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