Hopes Lake Wanaka's once prosperous salmon population, could now make a comeback

Otago Fish and Game have now found the land-locked Chinook salmon's elusive spawning site, after five years of searching.

Otago Fish & Game officer Mason Court, says their numbers declined for unknown reasons around 20 years ago, and they are now very rare.

Court says a survey in 2020 to 2021 found just 17 salmon.

He says discovering their spawning site, will help them to grow the population.