Fishing

To ensure that the river continues as an important salmon fishery, Meridian Energy supports the Central South Island Fish and Game Council which hatches and releases up to 10,000 salmon smolt into the river each year.  This ensures salmon stocks are maintained and that the river continues to be recognised as a valuable fishery.

As part of a stakeholder agreement, Mount Cook Salmon operates a salmon farm on the Tekapo canal - on the Heritage Trail between Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki - where sockeye salmon are raised and sold for export. The salmon farm is open to the public with guided tours of the facilities. You can even catch your own salmon.

Meridian Energy also operates a trout spawning race at Aviemore dam which allows trout to migrate upstream from Lake Waitaki to spawning grounds close to the dam.

The race is hairpin shaped and can accommodate up to 3,000 adult trout, providing sheltered waters for spawning.