Army Bay (Whangaparāoa)Auckland
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Rocky reef off Army Bay at the tip of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula; snapper and kingfish, gulf-clear on a NE.
Google MapsAuckland spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
5.5
wave 0 m head-on
visibility6m
Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and visibility.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 08:38
Sources & confidence
- Sources
- IPMA · NDBC buoys · Copernicus Marine
- Method
- Model consensus, read per window
- Freshness
- Re-read every hour, per coast
Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine
The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.
How we score the water
Our own model
Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.
- Swell & wave memory
- Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
- Wind & gusts
- Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
- Tide phase
- Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
- Water temperature
- Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
- Currents & outflow
- Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
- Rain runoff & air clarity
- Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
- Coast shape & exposure
- How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.
Safety gates
- Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
- An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
- Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
- Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
- Night hours — forced red; the window is closed after dark.
It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.
A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.
Where to get in, where to hunt
Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 08:38
Auckland — solo, off the rocks
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · light fog ~1.8 km
wave 0 m head-onwind 4 km/hvisibility ~8 mwindow 12:00–18:00
today, best window 12:00–15:00
fish · Visibility 8 m · Water 13.5°C
confidence low · verdict for the selected day
Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day
Windows, hours
and the day's trends.
The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.
Thursday · today2026-07-23
07:26–17:28 · first quarter
▲ 01:00▼ 08:00▲ 14:00▼ 20:00 · 1.8 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.24 m
Wave0.06 m
Wind7 km/h
Water14 °C
fish activity: moonset 01:57 · moderate · moon underfoot 07:00 · high · moonrise 12:02 · moderate · moon overhead 19:30 · high
Conditions window06:00–09:00
don't go fish
Hs 0.06 mperiod 5.7 swind 5→13surge 0viz 6 m
0.06 mup to ~0.12 · 25° at an angle
5.7 sswell moderate
5→13gusts 13 km/h
0weak surge
0.08m/s
6 mrecent swell
13.4°Cthicker suit + hood
▼08:00tide turn near
Atmosphere0 kmovercast
highmoon underfoot
- fog <1 km — no landmarks visible
- water 13°C — cold
- low water — slack
confidence mediumtwilight
The water column
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
What it is
A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.
spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.
Now live: 1152 spots across 189 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
See all spotsThe seabed
Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.
On the rock
The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.
The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.
Entry points
Where to get in
off the rocks.
Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.
Open the seafloor map
Maori Bay (Muriwai)Auckland
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
West-coast rock reef by the Muriwai gannets; butterfish and cray, greener Tasman water — dive the calm.
Google MapsShakespear / Te Haruhi BayAuckland
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Regional-park bay at Whangaparāoa; easy rocky-point entries for snapper in sheltered gulf water.
Google MapsSOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.
Surfacing
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live
Look at the water
right now.
Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».
Reference
What's in season,
what the law says.
In season now
- snapper (tāmure)
- yellowtail kingfish (haku)
- blue cod (rāwaru)
- trevally (araara)
- butterfish/greenbone (marari)
- kahawai
- red rock lobster (kōura)⚠️ Crayfish (rock lobster) and pāua — free-diving only; taking them on scuba is PROHIBITED nationwide. Pāua/crayfish are not speared.
Law
- ✓There is NO — you may fish subject to MPI rules (sizes/limits/gear). Rules are REGIONAL (combined finfish daily limit 20, but local notices override stricter). Freshwater trout/salmon may not be speared.
- ✓Crayfish (rock lobster) and pāua — free-diving only; taking them on scuba is BANNED nationwide. Spearfishing is banned in marine reserves. Respect / and (incl. a after a drowning — a cultural/sacred closure).
- ⛔ 🚫 Crayfish (rock lobster) and pāua — taking them on SCUBA is banned nationwide (free-diving only). Combined finfish daily limit 20 (local notices override stricter).
- ⛔ 🚫 Protected under the Wildlife Act 1953: spotted black groper (Epinephelus daemelii), great white shark, giant manta, black/red coral, seahorses/pipefish. Trout/salmon (freshwater) — entirely off-limits to spearguns.
- ⛔ 🚫 Marine reserves (~44) — spearfishing and all fishing banned. Respect / and (incl. a after a drowning — a tapu/cultural closure, not only a fishing rule): don't dive.
Rules change and are regional. Before heading out, check with MPI (regional fishing rules / the NZ Fishing Rules app), DOC (marine reserves) and local notices (rāhui/mātaitai).
Safety protocol
- Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
- Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
- Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
- Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
- Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
- Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
- UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
- Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.
Spearfishing in Auckland: spots, seasons and rules
Spearfishing in Auckland starts with the New Zealand licence answer: there is no recreational sea-fishing licence. That does not mean casual take. MPI regional rules, marine reserves, mātaitai, taiāpure and rāhui still control the day. Around Auckland, the sheltered Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana has snapper and kingfish reef country, but Hauraki Gulf crayfish closures apply, and Te Matuku on Waiheke plus other reserves are no-take. Crayfish and pāua are free-diving only; taking them on scuba is banned nationwide, and they are not speared. For Auckland, focus on Army Bay, Shakespear / Te Haruhi Bay and Maori Bay at Muriwai. Use Safeswim water-quality flags and the live harbour cams as a surface check, then confirm MPI and DOC boundaries before diving.
TL;DR
- New Zealand has no recreational sea-fishing licence, but Auckland still runs on MPI regional rules, marine-reserve boundaries and local notices.
- Crayfish and pāua are free-diving only; taking them on scuba is banned nationwide, and they are not spear targets.
- Hauraki Gulf crayfish closures apply. Do not plan a crayfish take there unless the current local rule says the area is open.
- Army Bay, Shakespear / Te Haruhi Bay and Maori Bay are the city marks here; Te Matuku and other marine reserves are no-take.
Where to spearfish Auckland east coast Hauraki Gulf
Auckland is split between sheltered gulf water and the rougher Tasman side. The three marks here are not given formal safety ratings, and some coordinates are approximate, so the table stays practical: coast, habitat, target species and the main caution. For Hauraki Gulf planning, snapper and kingfish are the fish story; crayfish closures and reserve boundaries are the legal story.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army Bay (Whangaparāoa) | Rocky reef | Around 5 m | Gulf reef, approximate mark | Tip of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula | Snapper and kingfish are named here, with clearer gulf water on a north-east condition. Check local notices before any crayfish plan. |
| Shakespear / Te Haruhi Bay | Regional-park bay and rocky points | Around 5 m | Sheltered gulf entry | Whangaparāoa regional-park shoreline | Easy rocky-point entries are part of the draw. Treat easy access as a reason to check people, reserves and water-quality flags, not as clearance. |
| Maori Bay (Muriwai) | West-coast rock reef | Around 6 m | Tasman side, dive only in calm water | Muriwai / Maori Bay rocks | Butterfish and cray are named, with greener Tasman water. The local note says dive the calm; crayfish rules still decide the take. |
Do you need a licence to spearfish in Auckland?
No. New Zealand has no recreational sea-fishing licence, so there is no Auckland sea licence to buy for normal recreational spearfishing. The real control is MPI regional rules: sizes, daily limits, gear rules and local notices. The combined finfish daily limit is 20 unless a local notice is stricter. Freshwater trout and salmon are off-limits to spearguns, which matters if someone tries to generalise the no-licence answer beyond the sea.
Is the Hauraki Gulf closed to crayfish?
Hauraki Gulf crayfish closures apply, so do not build an Auckland plan around taking crayfish in the gulf without checking the current MPI notice. The broader New Zealand rule is also strict: crayfish and pāua are free-diving only, taking them on scuba is banned nationwide, and pāua/crayfish are not speared. For Army Bay, Shakespear and the outer gulf, think snapper and kingfish first, not a casual crayfish grab.
Which Auckland marine reserves are no-take?
Marine reserves are no-take for all fishing and spearfishing. Te Matuku on Waiheke and other reserves are no-take, and the national rule says around 44 marine reserves are closed to fishing. Respect mātaitai, taiāpure and rāhui as well. A rāhui after a drowning is a cultural and sacred closure, not just a fisheries notice; do not dive through it.
Where can you spearfish around Auckland?
The local marks are Army Bay and Shakespear / Te Haruhi Bay on Whangaparāoa, plus Maori Bay at Muriwai. Auckland also has island reefs such as Rangitoto, Motutapu and the outer gulf for snapper and kingfish, but reserve checks decide the final plan. The gulf is sheltered, while Maori Bay is a west-coast rock reef with greener Tasman water and a calm-day requirement.
Auckland water visibility spearfishing conditions today
Auckland has useful surface signals rather than a single magic visibility number. Safeswim provides live water-quality flags, and several YouTube harbour cams show Waitematā / Viaduct / Beach Haven water views. They help with rain, colour and wind, but they do not prove reef visibility at Army Bay or Muriwai. The city has no local buoy feed; combine camera read, wind direction, local water-quality flags and recent weather.
FAQ
Do you need a licence to spearfish in Auckland?
No. New Zealand has no recreational sea-fishing licence, but MPI regional rules and local notices still apply.
Is the Hauraki Gulf closed to crayfish?
Hauraki Gulf crayfish closures apply. Check the current MPI notice before planning any crayfish take.
Where can you spearfish around Auckland?
The city marks here are Army Bay, Shakespear / Te Haruhi Bay and Maori Bay, subject to reserves, rāhui and conditions.
Which Auckland marine reserves are no-take?
Marine reserves are no-take. Te Matuku on Waiheke is named locally, and other DOC reserve boundaries must be checked before diving.
How is the water visibility in Auckland today?
Use Safeswim flags, harbour cams, wind and recent rain as a first read. No local buoy feed is supplied for the city.
Is there any sea-fishing licence in New Zealand?
No. Recreational sea fishing does not require a licence, but rules are regional.
Can you take crayfish or pāua on scuba?
No. Taking crayfish or pāua on scuba is banned nationwide; they are free-diving only and are not speared.
What is the legal size for snapper?
The species table gives snapper at 30 cm. Check MPI regional rules before diving because local notices can be stricter.
Sources
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