About the Fish Spawning Indicator
Any forestry activities that would disturb perennial (permanent) river or lake beds, or wetlands, when fish are spawning are not permitted without resource consent. Spawning periods vary depending on the fish species and its location, so we developed the Fish Spawning Indicator to help councils and foresters manage and plan forestry operations.
The Fish Spawning Indicator shows where and when fish that are sensitive to disturbance are spawning. This will make it clear which forestry activities are permitted, and which ones will need consent (if permitted activity conditions are not met). The tool is available online.
Use the Fish Spawning Indicator tool
Note: The guidance on the use of this information and associated reports is written in relation to the NES-PF context only. The guidance documents should not be used in any other context without guidance from the agencies responsible for the species in question, including the Department of Conservation or the relevant Fish and Game Council.
The database is available
You can download the full Fish Spawning Indicator dataset in several formats (Shapefile, KML, Excel) along with the metadata on the MPI Open Data Portal. The current version of the FSI was released in November 2020. The database provides information for the North and South Islands only – not for New Zealand's offshore islands.
Download the Fish Spawning Indicator database
Freshwater fish spawning periods in NZ
Freshwater fish species and their spawning periods are grouped into 2 sensitivity classes in the NES-PF regulations.
Group A
Salmonids or species with a high conservation status of threatened or at risk.
| Species | Subgroup | Spawning period |
| Redfin bully | 1 August to 31 October | |
| Koaro | Sea run (North Island) | 1 April to 30 June |
| Sea run (South Island) | 1 March to 30 May | |
| Landlocked | 1 November to 30 January | |
| Giant kokopu | Sea run (North Island) | 15 April to 15 July |
| Sea run (South Island) | 1 June to 31 August | |
| Landlocked | 1 May to 31 August | |
| Shortjaw kokopu | 1 May to 30 June | |
| Banded kokopu | 1 May to 30 June | |
| Stokell’s smelt | 1 December to 31 January | |
| Brown trout | 15 May to 15 September | |
| Chinook salmon | 1 April to 31 September | |
| Rainbow trout | 1 July to 30 November | |
| Sockeye salmon | 1 March to 30 June |
Group B
Species with a higher sensitivity to disturbance.
| Species | Spawning period |
| Dwarf galaxias | 1 September to 31 October |
| Canterbury galaxias | 1 August to 31 October |
| Alpine galaxias | 1 August to 31 October |
| Lowland longjaw galaxias | 1 June to 30 September |
| Dusky galaxias | 1 October to 30 November |
| Eldon’s galaxias | 1 October to 30 November |
| Central Otago roundhead galaxias | 1 August to 31 October |
| Bignose galaxias | 1 July to 30 September |
| Taieri flathead galaxias | 1 August to 31 October |
| Gollum galaxias | 1 August to 30 September |
| Nevis galaxias | 1 October to 15 November |
| Upland longjaw galaxias | 1 October to 30 November |
| Southern flathead galaxias | 1 August to 15 November |
| Northern flathead galaxias | 1 August to 15 November |
| Teviot flathead galaxias | 1 August to 15 November |
| Lower Clutha galaxias | 1 August to 15 November |
| Pomahaka galaxias | 1 August to 15 November |
| Dune Lakes galaxias | 1 May to 30 August |
| Clutha flathead galaxias | 1 August to 15 November |
| Canterbury mudfish | 1 July to 30 October |
| Northland mudfish | 1 April to 30 September |
| Brown mudfish | 1 April to 30 September |
| Black mudfish | 1 April to 30 September |
Find out more
- NES-PF risk assessment tools guidance [PDF, 1.7 MB]
- NES-PF additional fisheries advice [PDF, 1.3 MB]
- NES-PF
