Designated Waters warning
A one-day non-resident licence is not a Designated Waters pass.
For a Designated Waters trip, check whether the whole-season non-resident licence and a separate Designated Waters Day Licence are required.
Open Designated Waters rulesUpper Matakitaki River is a bridge-boundary buying decision in the Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game region. The current rule table separates the Matakitaki River at State Highway 6 Bridge and Horse Terrace Bridge, then adds the Designated Waters licence layer upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge.
That makes this page different from the Upper Wairau River guide. Upper Wairau turns on Wash Bridge, Six Mile Creek, and Fish Lake. Upper Matakitaki turns on SH6 Bridge, Horse Terrace Bridge, and whether the angler is entering the designated-water row before buying.
Upper Matakitaki Decision Path
Start with the exact bridge line rather than the river name alone.
| Planning layer | Upper Matakitaki decision |
|---|---|
| L1 authority | Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game |
| L2 water | Matakitaki River |
| L3 action | Check SH6 Bridge, Horse Terrace Bridge, designated-water licence, access, and buying path |
Do not treat the whole river as all-year bait water. Also do not treat the whole river as a designated water. The current Nelson/Marlborough row changes as the plan moves upstream.
Current Matakitaki Rule Rows
As checked against the 2025/26 Nelson/Marlborough regulations, the Matakitaki River has three working rows.
| Matakitaki water or section | Season | Methods | Daily bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downstream of State Highway 6 Bridge | All year | FSB | 2 | Notes 1.2/1.3 |
| Between State Highway 6 Bridge and Horse Terrace Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | FS | 2 | Note 1 |
| Designated water: Matakitaki River and tributaries upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | FS | 2 | Notes 1 and 8 |
FS means artificial fly and spinner. FSB adds bait. Note 8 is the special-water trigger: no angler may fish in a designated water unless they hold the appropriate Designated Waters licence or are named on one.
Note 1 keeps the upper-river size and possession detail tied to the Nelson/Marlborough booklet. Check it in the current PDF before deciding whether a kept fish fits the rule for the day.
Horse Terrace Bridge And The Designated-Water Line
Horse Terrace Bridge is the L3 decision point. A trip between SH6 Bridge and Horse Terrace Bridge still needs the current Nelson/Marlborough rule row, but it does not import the designated-water licence layer unless the planned water is upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge.
| If the itinerary says... | Rule and buying action |
|---|---|
| Downstream of SH6 Bridge | Fish & Game licence plus all-year FSB row |
| Between SH6 Bridge and Horse Terrace Bridge | Fish & Game licence plus 1 Oct-30 Apr FS row |
| Upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge | Fish & Game licence plus Designated Waters licence check |
| Matakitaki tributaries upstream of the bridge | Treat them inside the designated-water wording |
| Matakitaki plus Upper Wairau | Check Horse Terrace for Matakitaki and Six Mile Creek/Fish Lake for Upper Wairau |
The official designated-water page also warns about private land near part of the lower designated water. Treat access as a separate permission check, not as something created by the fishing licence.
Licence Stack Before Buying
For ordinary downstream water, the buying path is the Fish & Game product that matches the angler category and dates. For the designated reach, check the Designated Waters licence page before buying anything short or visitor-focused.
| Angler plan | Buying path |
|---|---|
| Resident below Horse Terrace Bridge | Confirm row, date, access, then choose the Fish & Game licence category |
| Resident upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge | Confirm qualifying Fish & Game licence and Nelson/Marlborough Designated Waters product |
| Non-resident upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge | Check non-resident whole-season base licence plus the designated-water day path |
| One-day visitor plan in the designated reach | Do not treat the ordinary one-day non-resident product as enough |
| Family, child, or junior plan | Confirm who is covered and whether any designated-water naming requirement applies |
A Designated Waters licence is a fishing permission layer. It does not grant road access, station access, private-land crossing, or safe river conditions.
Access And Private-Land Checks
The Matakitaki is part of the Buller system, and access planning can matter as much as the legal method. The Nelson/Marlborough region guide covers the wider region; this page keeps the Matakitaki decision narrow.
| Planning question | Safer check |
|---|---|
| Is the plan above or below SH6 Bridge? | Match the exact row in the current Nelson/Marlborough PDF |
| Is the plan above Horse Terrace Bridge? | Open the Nelson/Marlborough designated-water page and licence guidance |
| Is bait part of the plan? | Only the downstream SH6 row is FSB in the current table |
| Is access across private land involved? | Confirm permission, signs, and route conditions before relying on the licence |
| Is gear moving from another water? | Clean and dry gear before changing waterways |
Do not replace the current rule table with an old trip report, lodge page, printed access note, or memory from another river. The bridges are the controlling planning markers here.
Before Fishing Upper Matakitaki River
- Confirm the session is Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game freshwater.
- Place the fishing water downstream of SH6, between SH6 and Horse Terrace, or upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge.
- Open the current Nelson/Marlborough regulations and match season, method, daily bag, and notes.
- If upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge, open the designated-water sources before buying.
- Confirm resident or non-resident licence category, including any designated-water product.
- Check access permission, local signs, weather, river conditions, and clean-gear steps.
- Buy through Fish & Game only after the bridge line and licence stack are settled.
Upper Matakitaki is ready for purchase only when the bridge boundary is known. Below SH6, between SH6 and Horse Terrace, and upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge are different planning answers, even though they share the same river name.
FAQ
Do I need a Fish & Game licence for Upper Matakitaki River?
Yes. Upper Matakitaki River is Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game freshwater, and the reach upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge can also require the Designated Waters licence layer.
Is the whole Matakitaki River a designated water?
No. The current Nelson/Marlborough table makes the Matakitaki River and tributaries upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge the designated-water row.
Where does the authority boundary sit?
This is Fish & Game Nelson/Marlborough freshwater. It is not DOC Taupo, MPI saltwater, or a West Coast designated-water page.
What is the Upper Matakitaki rule trap?
Do not carry the all-year FSB row upstream. Above SH6 the rules narrow to fly and spin, and upstream from Horse Terrace Bridge the designated-water licence check applies.