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Whatahua Lake (Thompson's Lake)

Lake Whatihua (Thomson's Lake) is a small water that holds a good population of stocked rainbow trout close to Auckland.

Fish type, number and size Rainbow trout averaging around 1.5 kilograms but reaching sizes of over 2.5 kilograms. The lake is regularly stocked and so holds a good population of fish for its size.
Situation Lake Whatihua (Thomson's Lake) is near the west coast, just south of Auckland near Waiuku.
Maps

Access map
Check conditions View the MetService weather forecast.
Description

Lake Whatihua (Thomson’s Lake) is a long and narrow lake surrounded by farmland and exposed to the strong prevailing westerly wind. It is quite shallow and is weedy around its margins. Mostly it is wadeable though the best fishing is to be had when this small water is left undisturbed by waiting as the trout will often cruise along the edges close to the shore.

Harling lures around the weed beds can be very effective when using a small row boat or kayak.
Access

Access to Lake Whatihua from Waiuku is along Kariotahi Road about 1.5km before Kariotahi Beach. See the Lake Whatihua access map.
Methods Lake Whatihua fishes well by harling and with nymphs. In late spring/early summer there can be an excellent rise to hatching insects on warmer still evenings. However, if the wind is blowing, the fish are usually to be found deeper.
Recommended lures

Nymphs:
Damsel and dragonfly nymphs fished from a floating line along the weed beds.

Dry flies:
In summer a cicada, cricket or beetle pattern and from late summer, lace flies.

Wet flies:
Bully patterns such as Mrs Simpson, Kilwell's No 1 and Lord's Killer or a Red Setter slowly harled around the weed beds. During the warm evenings in late spring early summer small emerging sedge patterns such as an Invicta or Greenwell's Glory fished just subsurface in front of rising fish.

Spinners:

Black and gold Tobys and small dark Veltic or Mepps.
Regulations
Applicable to Lake Whatihua (Thomsons Lake)
Region Auckland/Waikato regulations
Season All year
Methods Artificial fly, spinner, bait

No fish taken from another water may be used as bait.
Bag limit 5
Size limit (cm) 30cm minimum

Other fishing waters of the region



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