Freestone · Schist · Otago

Clutha / Mata-Au

Clutha / Mata-Au — On the Clutha River at Albert Town
Good · Brown Trout
Hare & Copper Nymph · 12-16
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Flow598.1 m³/s
  • Water temp9.6°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Hare & Copper Nymph
Hare & Copper Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Flow
Steady
598.1 m³/s
Water temp9.6°C
ClarityClear
Weather6°C
WindSE 3 km/h
Pressure1014 hPa
Rain · recent3.0 mm
Rain · ahead1.8 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

How these readings are sourced

Weather-only: no live gauge wired. Lake-fed and dam-regulated — flow is governed by lake levels and hydro operation, not recent rain. Watch for sudden dam-driven level changes.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
10°C est.ideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is working for you, but insect activity is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 10am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 3 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Deleatidium / NZ Mayfly DunHatch
3
3
3
3
2
2
3
3
3
Burrowing Mayfly / Green MayflyHatch
3
2
2
Caddis / SedgeHatch
3
3
3
2
2
3
Cased Caddis / CreeperHatch
3
3
3
2
2
3
3

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Otago Fish & Game region — a Fish & Game licence is required
  • Beware dam-controlled flow changes
  • Check the current Anglers Notice
  • Check Clean Dry (didymo present).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Gallery · 2
  1. Clutha / Mata-Au — On the Clutha River at Albert Town
    On the Clutha River at Albert Town
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 78 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature93 × 28%26.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity34 × 12%4.1
Conditions total= 78
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout year-round (most reaches)year-round

    Otago Fish & Game licence required. Dam-controlled flows — safety note. Legal status: guidance_not_permission.

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