The angling survey of the river below the Roxburgh Dam found about 14,500 freshwater sports fish including trout, perch and salmon were caught in the 2023-24 season, and almost a quarter were kept for the table.
"People fish this section not only because of the quality of fishing and access, but also because they like fishing close to home," Fish & Game officer Jayde Couper said.
"This survey highlights the importance of maintaining and protecting the environment."
The survey, which included almost 6000 interviews with licensed anglers from Otago and Southland, found the catch was more than 60% brown trout and 25% rainbows trout.
Perch, with their "delicious white fillets" were 14% of the catch but accounted for almost a quarter of fish kept for eating.
Officers also praised the summer season’s "outstanding compliance," after checking more than 200 anglers at popular spots by January 10 and recording just two offences.
"It’s great to see the compliance so good .. . in a usual year it would be common to pick up a couple of offences every day," officer Ben Sowry said.
"By purchasing a licence and following the regulations, anglers are directly supporting efforts to conserve and restore local fish habitats for future generations."
Fishing without a licence and trolling with multiple rods were the two most common offences.
He said cool summer weather had angling advantages, helping keep trout and salmon feeding in shallower water.
Visiting fisherman Kevin Hammond, of Gore was pleased to be able to cross the road from Kaitangata motor camp to cast a line into the Clutha.
"We’ve been catching perch, kahawai, trout and mullet and keep about one in four," he said.
Anglers were reminded to review the fishing regulations at the start of each season to refresh their knowledge of the rules stay informed about changes.
