Last updated October 2026
Spring Creek is a small, spring-fed stream on the Wairau Plain, about 15 minutes from Blenheim. Its water is crystal clear and it holds brown trout: more fish of 2 to 3 lb in the upper reaches, and fewer but bigger fish, around 4 lb, lower down. It is a separate water from the Ōpaoa River and runs into the lower Wairau River.
The creek is open from 1 October to 30 April for fly and spinner only, and most of its banks are private vineyard and farmland, so the road crossings are your starting points.
Spring Creek at a Glance
- Location
- Wairau Plain, around Spring Creek township, about 15 minutes from Blenheim
- Type
- Small, clear, spring-fed stream with heavy weed growth and snags
- Main species
- Brown trout
- Methods
- Fly and spinner only
- Season
- 1 October to 30 April
- Access
- State Highway 1 crossing, O’Dwyers Road and Ruapara Road; the mouth from Stop Bank Road
- Best flies
- Small nymphs and dry flies, sizes 16 to 18
- Licence
- Fish & Game licence; free for children under 12, but they still need one
- Rules
- Fish & Game Nelson/Marlborough
No tides on the creek. It is spring-fed and usually clear; heavy rain on the plain and a high Wairau are what change it, so check river levels after a storm.
What You'll Find Here
Spring Creek winds through vineyards and paddocks on the Wairau Plain west of Spring Creek township. It passes under Rapaura Road and State Highway 1 just north of the Spring Creek roundabout, then runs beside the Wairau River stopbank to join the main river.
Because it is fed by springs, the water is crystal clear, and the creek grows a large amount of weed that gives trout excellent cover. Willows and grass line the banks. nzfishing.com calls it good sport for the dry fly purist, and in its upper reaches a beautiful small dry fly stream.
It is not the fishery it once was. A 1973 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries report on the Marlborough trout fishery called Spring Creek the most heavily fished stream in Marlborough and already noted a decline in its catch rate. nzfishing.com says intensive farming has since degraded it, and fish numbers have dropped in the lower reaches, which run through horticulture land and vineyards.
Spring Creek is not the Ōpaoa River, even though nzfishing.com points to the Opawa River access map for both. The Ōpaoa runs through Blenheim and has its own rules; Spring Creek is a Wairau tributary and comes under the regional default rules.
How to Fish Spring Creek
Where and when
The upper reaches hold more fish, mostly 2 to 3 lb. The lower reaches hold fewer fish but they run larger, around 4 lb. The season runs from 1 October to 30 April. In clear water like this, move slowly along the bank and look for fish holding beside the weed beds before you cast.
Weed and snags
The weed and snags are the main challenge, because a hooked trout heads straight for them. Use tippet strong enough to turn a fish, keep its head up and steer it away from the weed as soon as it is hooked.
Flies and lures
- Nymphs: any weighted caddis nymph, Pheasant Tail or Hare and Copper in small sizes, with 16 the best.
- Dry flies: Adams, Greenwell’s Glory and Dad’s Favourite in sizes 16 to 18.
- Wet flies: small wets fished below the surface, or dark patterns such as a Scotch Poacher or Hairy Dog fished deep at night.
- Spinners: very small bladed spinners only. This is not a stream that suits spin fishing well, and the weed makes lure losses likely.
- No bait: bait is not allowed on Spring Creek.
Getting There and Facilities
- From Blenheim: Spring Creek township is about 15 minutes away. State Highway 1 crosses the creek just north of the Spring Creek roundabout.
- Other access: nzfishing.com lists access off O’Dwyers Road and Ruapara Road. Rapaura Road also crosses the creek.
- The mouth: Fish & Game’s Wairau access guide lists access from Stop Bank Road on the south bank: turn down Peninsula Road to the car park, then walk to the river and the mouth of Spring Creek.
- Private land: almost all of the bank runs beside private vineyards and farmland. Start from the road crossings and ask the landowner before you cross private land.
- Parking: park well off the road, clear of gateways, vineyard tracks and the highway.
- Further down: the creek joins the Wairau River. For the main river, see our Wairau River fishing guide.
Rules and Safety
- Licence: you need a Fish & Game licence. Children under 12 need one too, but it is free.
- Season and methods: Spring Creek is not listed separately in the 2026/27 Nelson/Marlborough regulations, so the regional default applies: open 1 October to 30 April, fly and spinner only.
- Limits: bag limits are set in the Fish & Game Nelson/Marlborough regulations. There is no minimum size for trout.
- The Wairau: once you are on the Wairau River itself, the Wairau rules apply instead.
- Private land: leave gates as you find them and keep away from stock and vineyard machinery.
- Floods and stopbanks: in June 2025 Marlborough District Council advised Spring Creek township to evacuate as a precaution because the Wairau River stopbank there was compromised. In February 2026 the council said repair and rebuilding of the Peninsula Road stopbank was under way. After heavy rain, check the council’s river flows, and keep off stopbanks and any works sites.
- Toxic algae: in low, warm summer flows look for dark slime or mats on the stream bed, and keep dogs out of the water if you see them.
- Biosecurity: Check, Clean, Dry all gear before you fish another river or lake.
Useful Links
Fish & Game Nelson/Marlborough regulations 2026/27: the default season, methods and bag limits that apply to Spring Creek.
Fish & Game Wairau River access guide: access points on the lower Wairau, including the Spring Creek mouth.
Marlborough District Council river flows: live river levels and rainfall across the Wairau Plain.
Common Questions
Do I need a licence to fish Spring Creek?
Yes, a Fish & Game licence. Children under 12 need one too, but it is free.
When is Spring Creek open?
From 1 October to 30 April, under the regional default rules.
Can I use bait on Spring Creek?
No. It is fly and spinner only.
How big are the trout in Spring Creek?
Brown trout in the upper reaches are mostly 2 to 3 lb. The lower reaches hold fewer fish, but they average around 4 lb.
Is Spring Creek the same as the Ōpaoa River?
No. They are separate waters. Spring Creek runs into the Wairau River, while the Ōpaoa flows through Blenheim and has its own rules.
Where can I get to Spring Creek?
Where State Highway 1 crosses it near Spring Creek township, and off O’Dwyers Road and Ruapara Road. The mouth is reached on foot from the Peninsula Road car park off Stop Bank Road.
What flies work on Spring Creek?
Small flies: weighted caddis, Pheasant Tail or Hare and Copper nymphs around size 16, and Adams, Greenwell’s Glory or Dad’s Favourite dries in sizes 16 to 18.
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