Landlocked Quinnat Salmon - Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Landlocked Quinnat (Chinook) salmon are found in several South Island lakes, including Coleridge, Heron, and Wakatipu. Once maintained by Fish & Game releases, these freshwater salmon now appear to be self-sustaining in some waters. Typically weighing 1–2 kg, they are aggressive feeders that often school together, providing exciting fishing when a shoal passes. Bright silver with a blue sheen, landlocked Quinnat salmon are sometimes mistaken for trout but can be identified by subtle physical differences.

Allan Burgess with landlocked Quinnat Salmon. — Allan Burgess with a landlocked salmon caught trolling in Lake Coleridge, Canterbury high country. They are good fighters and will take almost any lure – though bibbed minnows seem to work the best for trolling.

Observations & Additional Thoughts on Landlocked Salmon in NZ

The shift from reliance on stocking to natural reproduction is interesting. It suggests that under certain conditions, salmon (which are typically thought of as sea-run) can adapt to full freshwater lifecycles in NZ lakes.
However, because food availability is lower in lakes than in the ocean, overall growth and maximum size are constrained.
The schooling habit means that angling success may depend heavily on locating active schools; techniques that cover more water (trolling, casting) or that present many lures may be effective.
Distinguishing between landlocked salmon and large trout might be tricky in some cases; using specific identification techniques (gill structure, scale patterns, fin features) may help.

Landlocked Quinnat salmon fisheries were sustained by artificial stocking

Landlocked Quinnat Salmon are no longer released into South Island lakes by Fish & Game.

According to Fish and Game’s Richard Cosgrove, “there hasn’t been any salmon releases into Coleridge since 2019. While Fish & Game has done enhancement releases in the past, there has long been evidence of wild salmon spawning in the tributaries of Lake Coleridge. It is interesting to note that since releasing landlocked salmon into Lake Coleridge has ceased, the main catch by anglers in this lake is now rainbow trout. Whereas, in the past, the landlocked salmon were the predominantly caught fish by a wide margin.

As you pointed out, the late Bob McDowall highlighted in several places that despite fears that land-locked Quinnat in Lake Coleridge might die out after a few generations if stocking stopped, they have, in fact, established many self-sustaining populations around the South Island, including Lake Coleridge.

There was some great work done on the variations in the Lake Coleridge fishery, both by acclimatisation societies running fish traps and spawning surveys, and more recently in the 90s when Trustpower was going for reconsenting of the power station” (Updated July 2021).

Here are a couple of links to articles that were published when the hatcheries were closed last year (in 2020).

https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-districts/star-north-canty/salmon-hatcheries-shut-upper-rakaia-river

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2001/S00351/fish-game-closes-upper-rakaia-hatchery-operations.htm

Landlocked salmon are the same species of Quinnat salmon that return as sea-run fish to our South Island east and west coast rivers over summer and autumn to spawn.

Landlocked salmon are no longer released (stocked) into the lakes by Fish & Game. They do spawn successfully, and these lake fisheries have proven to be self-sustaining. In the past, this was thought not the case with hatchery releases taking place over many years.

Less Food For Landlocked Salmon in Lakes

A good size Lake Coleridge landlocked Quinnat salmon taken on a wet Opening Weekend. — *A good-sized Lake Coleridge landlocked Quinnat salmon was taken on a wet Opening Weekend.*

Landlocked salmon tend to swim in schools. The food supply for them in Lake Coleridge isn’t very plentiful, so they don’t grow as big as they do in the marine environment. Most reach only a kilo or two at most. Though anglers occasionally catch a larger one. The shoaling behaviour often leads to multiple hook-ups. There may be nothing happening for the shore anglers fishing the “picket-fence”, then suddenly fish are hooked by several anglers at once!

Salmon trapped in lakes are voracious feeders and will tend to hit almost any lure that comes near them. For this reason, the catch in Lake Coleridge, for example, is dominated by landlocked salmon, followed by lesser numbers of rainbow trout and browns, making up a distant third place.

Landlocked salmon will also readily take fluorescent lures at night that have been powered up to glow with a touch. They are good fighters and make good eating, though possibly not quite as good as freshly caught sea-run salmon, which must surely rank as one of the best-eating fish in the sea!

Steelhead in New Zealand – To Sea or Not to Sea? Often the Question By Malcolm Flain. Looking at Chinook salmon, Sockeye salmon, Steelhead rainbow trout, Brook char, Brown trout and Atlantic salmon. Whether there are or ever were sea-run populations of these salmonids in New Zealand.

Land-locked salmon are bright silver in colour with a blue tinge on their backs. This is a typical colouration of schooling land-locked salmon. They will readily take trolled or cast lures. It is not unusual for several anglers to hook up in quick succession when a salmon school is encountered. It is important to keep casting when fishing from shore so that your lure will be in the water when a school happens along!

Rainbow Trout or Landlocked Salmon Identification

They can look very similar when caught in lakes.

How to tell the difference between landlocked salmon and rainbow trout in lakes.

Is this a trout or a land-locked salmon. Here's how to tell the difference. — *Is this a trout or a landlocked salmon? Here’s how to tell the difference.*

There are also landlocked salmon in Lake Coleridge, Heron, Sumner, Wakatipu, Wanaka, and Hawea.

See photographs of salmon smolt being released at the Montrose Fish & Game hatchery, Upper Rakaia River.

Advice on how to catch a landlocked salmon from shore on spinning gear in Lake Coleridge.

Salmon caught in Lake Coleridge. — The morning’s catch by two anglers trolling on Lake Coleridge. Note how the landlocked salmon are a uniform size. These landlocked Chinook salmon shoal in lakes. Several anglers will often hook up at the same time.

Landlocked salmon from Lake Coleridge. — Landlocked salmon caught by Allan Burgess in Lake Coleridge. The two fish pictured at the top are the typical size of landlocked salmon from this lake. The bottom fish is clearly much larger. Unfortunately, I can’t remember its weight.

Land-locked salmon from Canterbury's Lake Coleridge. — Land-locked salmon from Canterbury’s Lake Coleridge. These landlocked fish are bright silver in colour with a blue tinge on their backs. This is a typical colouration of schooling land-locked salmon. They are very good to eat, though clearly the aquatic food supply available to these fish in Lake Coleridge is nowhere near as good as that available to salmon in a marine environment. Although good, eating the flesh is more of a pink colour than the bright orange we associate with sea-run Quinnat salmon.

Four land-locked salmon from Lake Coleridge in the Canterbury high country. — *Four landlocked salmon from Lake Coleridge in the Canterbury high country.*

Lake trolling is popular and effective where there are populations of land-locked salmon present. They seem to hit lures quite readily. Pictured: Trolling on Lake Coleridge. — *Lake trolling is popular and effective where there are populations of landlocked salmon present. They seem to hit lures quite readily. Pictured: Trolling on Lake Coleridge.*

Salmon has taken a Jensen Fingerling bibbed minnow — This landlocked salmon has taken a Jensen Fingerling bibbed minnow trolled with the aid of a downrigger. Though most landlocked quinnat salmon don’t grow larger than 1.5 kg, they are good fighters and will readily take a wide range of cast and trolled lures. They are also very good to eat. I fish for them on 6 lb monofilament. They also seem to swim around the lake in schools.

Summary & Key Points

The article discusses landlocked Quinnat (Chinook) salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in New Zealand, especially in the South Island.
These salmon were originally sustained via artificial stocking, but in recent years, Fish & Game has ceased releasing them (e.g. no more releases into Lake Coleridge since 2019).
Despite that, there is evidence that some populations have become self-sustaining, spawning in tributaries of lakes (e.g. in Lake Coleridge).
Because food supply in lakes is relatively limited, most landlocked salmon in New Zealand lakes stay small (1 to 2 kg typical). Occasionally, larger ones are caught.
These fish tend to swim in schools, which can lead to multiple hook-ups when a school passes.
They are aggressive feeders and will take a variety of lures—including fluorescent lures at night—and respond to trolling and casting techniques.
In appearance, they are bright silver with a bluish tint on the back, similar in look to trout when seen in some lighting, which can confuse (so the article gives tips for distinguishing salmon vs rainbow trout).
The article mentions several lakes in which landlocked salmon are or have been present: Lake Coleridge, Lake Heron, Lake Wakatipu, Lake Wanaka, and Lake Hawea.