Cobb River

The remote Cobb River is one of the clearest rivers in all of New Zealand - its clarity is just stunning.


















The Cobb River has the distinction of not only being fed by a lake but also having one part way along its course. The upper river starts as the outlet of Lake Cobb, high in the Tasman Mountains in the Kahurangi National Park. This was made a National Park in 1995 and is the second largest in New Zealand.

The Cobb River flows for twelve kilometres from the lake through a wide, glacier-formed valley set between high mountains. It eventually drains into the artificial Cobb Reservoir, formed 50 years ago when the river was dammed for hydro electricity generation. Below the reservoir, the river rambles for a further eight rather inaccessible kilometres until it joins the Takaha River below the Cobb Powerhouse. This river then winds its way down through the township of Takaha and into the wide expanses of Golden Bay.


Access to the Cobb River is provided by the Cobb Dam Road that turns off SH60 at the small settlement of Upper Takaha. This narrow, windy road follows the course of the Takaha River, but travels well above the deep river gorge, descending to the river level for only short stretches. There is good brown trout fishing in the Takaha from the Cobb River junction to the road bridge eight kilometres downstream. The stretch of water from the confluence up to the Cobb Power station is not particularly recommended due to the fluctuation in water levels below the dam.

The Cobb Reservoir, when not too low, offers good fishing for the mainly smaller trout that average around 1 kg. Both rainbow and brown trout are present but the nature of the lake makes it not particularly suited to flyfishing as the surrounding vegetation makes casting and access difficult. There are some places around the lakeshore where a fly angler will have a chance at a cruising trout, especially when the lake is low, but usually threadliners will cover the water a lot more efficiently. Better flyfishing water is to be found upstream in the Cobb River at the head of the reservoir. Here the river flows through a mix of bush and open grassy flats and these provide very pleasant fishing conditions. The fish are mainly rainbow with only the occasional brown to be found. They average around 1.5 kg but there are a few larger fish, especially in the upper reaches. They are not easy to catch, as there is considerable angling pressure and the fish are wary. Small, realistic imitations are the best choice and a careful approach will pay dividends.

The Cobb Valley Track wends it way up the river valley. An interesting sidelight are the 540 million year old fossils, the oldest ever found in New Zealand, that can be found imbedded in rocks near the start of the track. Many visitors are unaware that NZ has been under the sea three times so it is common to find fossil remains of sea life in the mountains. It is also why we have no nasty animals or snakes - only the birds found NZ.

The track does not follow the river very closely and it is necessary, especially in the lower sections, to detour off the track to get to the river. There are some very large, slow pools and patience is needed to set traps for cruising trout. After four or five hour’s walking up the track, Fenella Hut is reached and this would be a long day for a dayfisher. The hut is rather unique, being provided by the Druce family in memory of their daughter, Fenella, who was killed when the Three Johns Hut was blown over a cliff in Mount Cook National Park.

Just across the ridge from Lake Cobb are the headwaters of the Karamea River, which runs in the opposite direction towards the Tasman Sea. There is a large network of intersecting tracks crossing over the divide and emerging in the Karamea region at the top of the West Coast. This is wilderness country suitable only for experienced trampers. The weather can change rapidly in these mountains and it is common for small streams to become unfordable so take plenty of provisions.