Ten fish apiece will go into lakes Tarawera, Rotoiti, Okataina, and Rotorua in time for the opening of the new season.
The numbers on the tags correspond to prizes in sealed and numbered envelopes, one of which contains the grand prize of $25,000. The other envelopes each contain a $200 tackle or voucher prize, so every special red tag wins.
Eastern Fish & Game councillor Lindsay Lyons said the start of the trout fishing season was a major event on the angling calendar, with around 100,000 fishing licences sold throughout the country annually.
"Rotorua has some of the country's best trout fishing and this is designed to attract anglers here so they can sample what this fabulous region has to offer," Mr Lyons said. "The Rotorua lakes are a wonderful place to fish for trout and while being here is reward in itself, now there's the chance of catching a really grand prize too."
Mr Lyons, who is also chairman of Fish & Game New Zealand, said trout fishing was of huge value to local and regional communities around the country.
"Anglers bring tens of millions of dollars into trout fishing regions every year, spending on accommodation, food and services. It is an activity which not only provides a great boon to local business, but also gives regions a good positive reputation and profile.
"This promotion allows Fish & Game to promote Rotorua as a key, world-class fishing destination. It is our way of putting something back into our community and generating a sense of excitement and enjoyment, as well as opportunities for local businesses."
The Fish for Gold promotion is free to enter but limited to 1200 participants. Only specially tagged trout caught between October 1 and 11 are eligible to win prizes and anglers must have a current Fish & Game trout fishing licence.
To register to to any Fish and Game outlet in the Eastern area or online, www.fishandgame.org/tagged-trout-promotion.
Online entries close September 30 at midnight.
