The Otago Fish and Game Council is allowing anglers who have bought new season licences to start fishing a week earlier, but only in the larger lakes and rivers and reservoirs in the region which were open all year round.
They will still have to wait until October 1 when the brown trout waters open up after being closed during the winter to protect spawning.
Fish and Game Otago chief executive Niall Watson said the idea was to allow families to go fishing in the first week of the school holidays without facing additional charges for a licence to cover the last days of the old season.
"Under normal circumstances a family going fishing in the school holidays could have to buy licences for both the last few days of the old season and for the new season."
Fish and Game was "keen to get school holiday makers out on to the water" due to the popularity of the family licence, he said.
Fish and Game officer Cliff Halford, of Cromwell, said licence sales were steady and waters throughout the district were in peak condition.
"The only dampener will be the weather, which has been a bit unpredictable recently."
Spawning surveys and fish counts throughout the district showed healthy fish numbers and the release of 8000 rainbow trout to dams and reservoirs last season would ensure a good variety of waters for anglers.
Inflowing lake tributaries did not open until November 1, he said.
Fish and Game would be monitoring fish harvest on the Manorburn dam when it opens that day.
Anglers needed to remember to carry their licences and make sure they had read the fishing regulations that came with it, as there were different regulations and bag limits for different fisheries, Mr Halford said.
Backcountry licences were required on several rivers including the Nevis for the first time and were free to full season licence holders.
Family licences cover a "primary licence holder", a partner and all children or grandchildren under the age of 18. They cost $137. An adult whole season licence costs $105 and a junior whole season costs $21 (under 18).
