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 Wairau River is a Nelson/Marlborough special-water decision. The ordinary Wairau River table uses Wash Bridge, but the designated-water row starts farther upstream: the upper Wairau River and its tributaries, excluding Fish Lake, upstream from Six Mile Creek near the Rainbow Ski Field bottom carpark.
That makes this page different from the Motueka River page and different from the Nelson/Marlborough region guide. The L3 action is not simply "buy Fish & Game"; it is to decide whether the water is ordinary Wairau or designated Upper Wairau, then check the extra designated-water licence layer before buying.
Upper Wairau Decision Path
The base authority is Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game. The water is Wairau River, narrowed to ordinary Wairau or the designated Upper Wairau reach. The buying action depends on that boundary.
| Planning layer | Upper Wairau decision |
|---|---|
| L1 authority | Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game |
| L2 water | Wairau River and upper Wairau River |
| L3 action | Check Wash Bridge, Six Mile Creek, Fish Lake exclusion, designated-water licence, and buying path |
Do not treat the whole Wairau catchment as designated. Also do not treat the Upper Wairau designated row as an ordinary all-year bait row.
Current Wairau And Upper Wairau Rows
As checked against the 2025/26 Nelson/Marlborough regulations, the Wairau table has ordinary rows and then a designated-water row.
| Wairau water or section | Season | Methods | Daily bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wairau River upstream of Wash Bridge | 1 Oct-30 Apr | FS | 2 | Note 1 |
| Wairau River downstream of Wash Bridge, including the Diversion and Southern Valleys Irrigation Intake Pond | All year | FSB | 2 trout; 1 salmon shown in the salmon column | Notes 1.2 and 1.3 |
| Designated water: upper Wairau River and tributaries, excluding Fish Lake, upstream from Six Mile Creek | 1 Oct-30 Apr | FS | 2 | Notes 1 and 8 |
FS means artificial fly and spinner. FSB adds bait. Note 8 is the designated-water rule: no angler may fish in a designated water unless they hold the appropriate designated-waters licence or are named on one.
Six Mile Creek And Designated-Water Buying
The Six Mile Creek line is the practical buying trigger. If the planned water is upstream from Six Mile Creek, the designated-water source must be opened before fishing. Fish Lake is specifically excluded from that designated row.
| If the itinerary says... | Licence and rule action |
|---|---|
| Wairau upstream of Wash Bridge only | Fish & Game licence plus 1 Oct-30 Apr FS row |
| Wairau downstream of Wash Bridge | Fish & Game licence plus all-year FSB row and salmon-column check |
| Upper Wairau upstream from Six Mile Creek | Fish & Game licence plus designated-water licence check |
| Fish Lake | Do not treat it as part of the upper Wairau designated row |
| Upper Wairau plus Motueka | Designated check for Upper Wairau, ordinary Motueka bridge check separately |
For residents, check that the Fish & Game product qualifies for the Nelson/Marlborough designated-water season licence. For non-residents, check the non-resident whole-season and designated-water day-licence path before choosing a short product. Designated-water access is not the same as an ordinary regional day, and a designated-water day is a calendar-day decision rather than a rolling 24-hour shortcut.
Access And High-Country Planning
Nelson/Marlborough material describes Marlborough rivers and Molesworth country as different from western Nelson water. Braided flows, high-country roads, weather, private-land permission, and seasonal access can decide the day before the method does.
The licence does not grant road access, station access, or permission across private land. Check current official sources, access conditions, local signs, weather, and backup water before buying the shortest licence.
| Planning question | Safer check |
|---|---|
| Is this ordinary Wairau or Upper Wairau? | Use Wash Bridge and Six Mile Creek before buying |
| Is an extra licence layer required? | Open Nelson/Marlborough designated waters and the designated-water licence page |
| Is bait part of the plan? | Only the downstream Wairau FSB row adds bait in the current table |
| Is the route high-country or private? | Confirm access, road, weather, permission, and safety before travel |
| Is the trip coastal afterward? | Use MPI marine rules for that separate saltwater part |
The voluntary beat system on the official Nelson/Marlborough designated-water page is a planning courtesy, not a booking system or permission to ignore other access requirements. Keep the legal licence layer, the voluntary angler-spacing layer, and the land-access layer separate.
Before Fishing Upper Wairau River
- Confirm the session is Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game freshwater.
- Place the plan upstream or downstream of Wash Bridge, then check whether it is upstream from Six Mile Creek.
- If the water is upstream from Six Mile Creek, open the designated-water guidance before buying.
- Confirm that Fish Lake is not being folded into the designated Upper Wairau row.
- Match season, method, bag, and notes in the current Nelson/Marlborough booklet.
- Check access, road condition, weather, private-land permission, and clean-gear steps.
- Buy the Fish & Game and any designated-water permissions that match the exact angler and dates.
Upper Wairau is ready for purchase only after the special-water boundary is known. The ordinary Wairau rows answer some trips, but the water upstream from Six Mile Creek adds the designated-water licence layer.
FAQ
Do I need a Fish & Game licence for Upper Wairau River?
Yes. Upper Wairau River is Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game freshwater, and the designated reach can also require the designated-water licence layer.
Where does the Upper Wairau designated water start?
The current Nelson/Marlborough table names the upper Wairau River and tributaries, excluding Fish Lake, upstream from Six Mile Creek near the Rainbow Ski Field bottom carpark.
Is all Wairau River designated water?
No. The ordinary Wairau rows use Wash Bridge as a split, while the designated-water row applies to the upper river upstream from Six Mile Creek.
What is the Upper Wairau rule trap?
Do not buy only from the ordinary Wairau row if the session is in the designated reach. Check the qualifying Fish & Game licence and designated-water permissions before fishing.