Typical Lake Lyndon rainbow trout caught on spinning gear from a drifting boat.
Nestled near Porters Pass, Lake Lyndon is Canterbury’s most accessible high country lake. It offers great fishing for all skill levels for both brown and rainbow trout. Learn the top spin, fly, and winter glo-bug techniques to land your next catch in this spectacular barren tussock landscape.
Lake Lyndon Trout Fishing
Just a 90-minute drive from the hustle of Christchurch, right near the crest of Porters Pass, lies Canterbury’s ultimate high-country fishing playground: Lake Lyndon. Encircled by a stark, beautiful, barren tussock landscape, this easily accessible lake contains both brown and rainbow trout (there are no landlocked salmon in Lake Lyndon), offering an incredible escape for seasoned fly fishers and eager junior anglers alike. Whether you are casting dry flies into calm summer ripples, spin fishing at dusk, or braving freezing winter snow to drift floating glo-bugs above the weed beds, this comprehensive guide unlocks the exact strategies, seasonal tactics, and rig setups you need to land your next big catch.
Named by Edward Jollie, Lake Lyndon nestles near the top of Porters Pass. It really is a Canterbury high country lake in the truest sense, sitting in an almost treeless, barren tussock landscape. Lake Lyndon drains at its southern end into the Acheron River, which in turn flows to the Rakaia River.
In winter, snow frequently falls to the water’s edge and at least part of the lake ices over. State Highway 73 passes the northeastern tip of Lake Lyndon between Springfield and Castle Hill Village. Lake Lyndon is about a 90-minute drive from Christchurch, the last part of the journey being up the steep Porters Pass. This is the first true Canterbury high country lake on the main road between Christchurch and the South Island’s West Coast.
Lyndon Road runs around Lake Lyndon on the eastern side, providing excellent fishing access. The dry weather shingle Lyndon Road joins with Lake Coleridge, about a 50-minute drive west of Lake Lyndon. This road can be a bit hairy in winter.
Seasonal Fishing Guide – Summer Fishing – Note: Lake Lyndon is Open for Fishing All Year
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- Open All Year: Ideal time for spin-fishing along the eastern shoreline using spinners.
- Dusk Activity: Cast a dragonfly pattern (like a small Mrs Simpson) just as the sun drops over the ridgeline.
- Peak Dry Fly Season: Mid-December to late February offers excellent dry fly action. Use a small foam green beetle in calm conditions, or a black gnat when there is a ripple on the water.
- Night Fishing: Rainbows are highly active after dark. Cast luminous doll flies or glow-in-the-dark lures from the shore.
Winter Fishing – Note: Lake Lyndon is Open for Fishing All Year
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- Calmer Weather: Winter brings highly stable, calm days with less harsh wind than in summer.
- Deep Nymphing: When the fish stay deep, use a nymph fished deep on a long leader.
- Extreme Cold: Snow regularly falls to the water’s edge, and parts of the lake will freeze over. Back off your reel drag, set your rod on the snow, and jump around to stay warm!
Bait fishing for trout at Lake Lyndon is restricted to Child and Junior anglers only
Please note that while the regulations list the fishery as FSB, Note 8 of the Second Schedule, which is noted to Lake Lyndon, clearly states: “No angler other than a Child or Junior angler shall bait fish for trout.” As such, bait fishing for trout at Lake Lyndon is restricted to Child and Junior anglers only.
Step-by-Step Winter Glo-Bug Rig
This highly successful technique targets winter rainbows by suspending floating bait directly above the bottom weed beds.
Gear Needed:
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- Light spinning rod and reel setup
- Split shot weights
- 1 or 2 Glo-bugs (Pink and orange work best)
- Silicone waterproofing paint (dry fly floatant)
The Setup Steps:
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- Prep the Lures: Paint your pink and orange Glo-bugs with dry fly silicone paint to make them highly buoyant.
- Add Weight: Attach enough split shots to your main line, exactly 60cm up from the end, so you can easily cast the rig.
- Tie the Flies: Tie the Glo-bugs to the very end of your main line below the weights.
- Cast: Throw the rig out roughly 20 meters into the lake.
- Set the Line: Let the rig sink. Leave a small amount of slack in the line and significantly loosen your reel drag.
- Wait for the Strike: The weights will sit on the bottom while the buoyant Glo-bugs hover perfectly over the weeds, waiting for cruising trout to grab them.
North Canterbury Fish & Game keep Lake Lyndon well stocked with rainbow trout. Fly, spin and Bait fishing are permitted in Lake Lyndon. This lake is open for fishing all year, and has been since the 2020/21 fishing season. The high numbers of smaller rainbows present in Lake Lyndon make the lake an ideal destination for introducing junior anglers to trout fishing. There are no brown trout in Lake Lyndon.
Lake Lyndon is an ideal destination for dry fly fishing in high summer. A nymph fished deep on a long leader is also productive. Lake Lyndon is quite deep, and spin anglers are advised to allow their black and gold Toby to sink well down before retrieving.
On several occasions, I have had great success fishing for rainbows after dark, around Lake Lyndon with luminous doll flies. The rainbows are very obliging in taking glow-in-the-dark lures. These are well worth a try and are good fun for the kids.
The best fishing for rainbow trout is usually late in the winter season, as this lake tends to heat up quite a bit during summer. During the winter season, lake conditions are also more likely to be calm and free of the strong winds associated with the summer months. Parts of the lake also freeze over in winter.
How to Target Winter’s Rainbows using Glo-bugs with Tim Nicol
On a light spinning gear, 60 cm up your main line, attach enough split shots so you can cast out about 20 meters. Then, at the end of your main line, tie on 1 or 2 Glo-bugs (I use orange and pink). I also paint them in silicone (the stuff you use for dry flies) so they float off the bottom.
Cast out with a bit of slack and wait. You can even put your rod down on the ground with the drag loosened off.
The idea is that the Glo-bugs are suspended in the water just above the weed beds. Cruising trout come along and pick them up. Works great in the colder winter months.
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In this video, renowned Canterbury angler Kevin O’Hanlon fishes with a fly rod and a float tube on Lake Lyndon and catches quite a few rainbow trout. Kevin says there are plenty of small, feisty rainbows in this lake, weighing between 1 and 3 pounds, with the occasional larger one weighing up to 4 lbs. There are also a few brown trout in Lake Lyndon. You can see that Kevin has been catching them on a size 8 Hamills Killer. All of the tackle and flies featured in this video can be purchased from The Fishermans Loft, 359 Lincoln Rd, Addington, Christchurch 8024, New Zealand.
Lake Lyndon with Peter Langlands
Accessibility
Lyndon, the most accessible high country lake, is only an hour’s drive from Christchurch and has a road running along its eastern shoreline. The lake fishes well in November.
A reasonable number of rainbows are caught by spin-fishers at the start of the season. Lake Lyndon is open all year. November is a good time to take young anglers to the lake, as there is a good chance they will catch fish on a spinner. Fishing early in the morning, or as is more popular, at dusk with a dragonfly pattern (small Mrs Simpson) is productive, as there is frequently a flurry of feeding activity as the sun disappears over the ridge line.
From mid-December to late February, the dry fly fishing really fires. A small foam green beetle fished in calmer conditions, and the more visible black gnat fished in ripply water are effective patterns.
A survey by the Fish and Game Council rated Lyndon as the second most popular lake in the region.
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Hi im looking forward to this years open day comp at Coleridge .Its my first fishing there and my first fishing comp and it is my birthday on the 7th and couldn’t think of a better thing to do on my birthday.and where are you aloud to camp ?