Taupo Fishery
Wild trout from the Taupo fishery provide the creative inspiration behind my art and illustration.
Wild trout.
Both rainbow and brown trout populate Lake Taupo’s near pristine waters. More than twenty rivers and streams flow into the lake, each providing ideal spawning conditions. This ensures a high level of juvenile recruitment which results in a self sustaining population of wild trout.
Rainbow trout.
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were fist introduced to the Taupo catchment in 1898. These fish were descended from a strain of sea-going ‘Steelheads’ sourced from Sonoma Creek in California. This migratory nature can be seen in Taupo rainbows today, as they use the lake as an inland sea and navigate up rivers to spawn.
Brown trout.
The brown trout (Salmo trutta) released into the Taupo catchment in 1887 came from Tasmania but originated from stocks of ‘Sea-trout’ sourced from the British Isles. As a result Taupo browns are also migratory, spending most of their adult life in the lake.
A volcanic landscape.
Lake Taupo is the heart of this wild trout fishery. It is the largest lake in New Zealand and sits within a deep volcanic caldera caused by a vast eruption 25,000 years ago. The lake is approximately 46km long by 33km wide, with a surface area of 616km2 and 193km of shoreline.
The entire Central Plateau is part of the Taupo Volcanic Zone and remains highly active.Three volcanic peaks provide a backdrop to the great lake; Mt Tongariro, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu. On cold mornings plumes of steam escaping from numerous geothermal vents are a constant reminder of the volcanic nature of this area.
Fishery management.
The Taupo Fishing District is managed by The Department of Conservation as a wild trout fishery. The current management structure is the result of a collaboration between local iwi Ngati Tuwharetoa and The Crown. More information about the Taupo fishery and fishing licences can be found online:
Taupo trout fishery>