Spearfishing Hawke's Bay
Napier is a shingle-and-reef coast where the ground north and south of town beats the town itself. Waimarama, Cape Kidnappers and the Tangoio headlands are the real marks.
The city water is honest but hard: Bluff Hill rocks on Hardinge Road, the Napier Town Reef off Marine Parade where a shingle shorebreak makes the entry the problem, and Perfume Point at the Ahuriri entrance with harbour tidal flow. The better ground is out of town - Waimarama Reef down the coast in cleaner water than Napier itself, Cape Kidnappers with depth at the rock and ridges on sand in 4-13 m (walk it strictly on the tide), Whakaari/Stingray Bay at Tangoio, and the half-sheltered Waipatiki Beach Point. Fish: snapper, kingfish, butterfish, blue moki, red moki, tarakihi, plus crayfish, paua and kina.
The coast faces about 110 degrees with a bad sector of roughly 30-190 degrees, so an easterly swell shuts the open shore and Waipatiki is the fallback that fishes more often. Summer into autumn is the season; water on this coast runs 12-18 C, so thermal protection stops being optional.
Rules: no licence. Hawke's Bay sits in the MPI Central area: 20 finfish combined per fisher per day, blue cod 20/day in FMA 2, paua 5/day. Crayfish may never be speared. One local closure matters directly here: Waimarama, including Te Motu o Kura / Bare Island, has no taking of blackfoot paua, a ban extended to 22 December 2026 in support of the rahui of Ngai Hapu o Waimarama. Read https://www.mpi.govt.nz/fishing-aquaculture/recreational-fishing/fishing-rules and https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/marine-reserves/. Safety, conditionally: shingle shorebreak entries, a moderate shark rating in our data, rips on the open beaches, and tide-locked access at Cape Kidnappers.
Top spots
| Spot | Nearest city | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Kidnappers / Te Kauwae-a-Māui | Napier | Cape with depth at the rock and ridges and channels on sand, 4–13 m. |
| Paparewa | Waimārama | Paparewa is a charted reef about 0.7 km south of Waimārama. |
| Napier Town Reef (Marine Parade) | Napier | Rock ridge along the town waterfront off a shingle beach, 3–9 m. |
Reserves & no-take zones
- Te Angiangi Marine Reserve — No-take / spearfishing banned: Spearfishing banned in this protected marine zone.
Cities in this region
FAQ
Can you take paua at Waimarama?
Not blackfoot paua. The Waimarama area, including Te Motu o Kura / Bare Island, is closed to blackfoot paua under a ban extended to 22 December 2026, supporting the rahui of Ngai Hapu o Waimarama.
Where is the best ground near Napier?
Out of town. Waimarama down the coast runs cleaner water than Napier itself, Whakaari/Stingray Bay at Tangoio is described as the best ground north of the city, and Cape Kidnappers has depth right at the rock - but walk it strictly on the tide.
What are the limits?
MPI Central area: 20 finfish combined per fisher per day, blue cod 20/day in FMA 2, paua 5/day region-wide. Crayfish may never be taken with a spear anywhere in New Zealand.
How cold is it?
This stretch of the North Island's east coast runs about 12-18 C, which is where thermal protection stops being optional. Summer into autumn is the practical season.
See also: East Cape / Gisborne · Taranaki & Western NI