Public access to rivers and lakes may exist in the form of riparian reserves adjoining river and lake margins, but public access does not exist in all cases. In many high use areas there are formal marked public access areas so look for the signs.

Elsewhere angler access may be at the discretion of landholders. Remember that they live and work on the land and the nature of the land in some cases can create particular problems with stock management.

Cooperation and understanding are important for both residents and visitors. Obtain permission unless defined legal access exists or established local practice does not require landowners' permission. The onus is on you to find out if this is the case.

If you want to use vehicles on properties, or take dogs or firearms with you, make this clear when seeking permission. With dogs remember to carry a current dog dosing certificate.

Access to waterways in Otago is widely available. Many areas are marked with reserve or ‘Angler’s Access’ signs. Where specific areas are marked sometimes it has been possible with cooperation from landowners. Anglers should take every care when using these access points. Sometimes ‘closed’ notices temporarily cover the access signs. Please respect these, as there are valid reasons (such as during lambing or mustering) why farmers deny access. Accept refusal with good grace and discuss with the farmer when would be a better time to visit that area in future.

In addition to signposted access points, there are hundreds of others where permission to pass through private land is readily given to the angler who takes the trouble to ask. While it's rare for an angler’s presence on a river bank to be disputed, anglers are advised not to assume that they're on a river bank reserve.

River bank reserves do exist in many places but not always on both banks and they're not always continuous. Some rivers such as the Shag, Waikouaiti and Meggat Burn for example have very little legal access at all. So access to them is at the discretion of the landowner.