Spearfishing Northland, New Zealand
Northland is New Zealand's warmest and clearest spearfishing coast. Nine towns from Ahipara and Mangonui down through the Bay of Islands, Tutukaka and Mangawhai, on East Auckland Current water.
The east coast is the business: Doubtless Bay's reef points at Coopers Beach and Berghan Point, the Cavallis and Mahinepua off Matauri Bay, Cape Wiwiki and the Black Rocks in the Bay of Islands, Tapeka and Cape Brett at Russell, Bream Head and Ocean Beach at Whangarei, and the Tutukaka run at Matapouri, Whale Bay and Woolleys. Ground is boulder, kelp-covered rock and reef ribs running out onto sand in 3-14 m. The west coast at Ahipara is a different animal - big open Tasman swell, boulder ridges at Tauroa Point and Shipwreck Bay, and only settled days. Fish: snapper (tamure), yellowtail kingfish (haku), trevally (araara), kahawai, John Dory (kuparu), red moki and butterfish, plus crayfish and kina in the rock.
The clear-water season follows the East Auckland Current, roughly summer into autumn, when outer-island visibility runs 10-25 m and the inshore gulf can still drop under 3 m after a north-easterly. Water is 14-22 C. Most east-coast marks read a bad sector with north-east in it, so a NE swell is the thing that shuts the day; the harbours and half-sheltered bays (Parua Bay, Whangaumu, Ohope-style corners) are the fallback.
Rules: no licence is needed to fish in the sea in New Zealand. Northland sits in the MPI Auckland and Kermadec area: 20 finfish combined per person per day, snapper 7/day at 30 cm on the east coast and 10/day at 27 cm on the Auckland west coast, kina 150 in FMA 1. Crayfish may never be speared - hand-gathering only - and the Parengarenga to Cape Rodney stretch is closed to spiny rock lobster. Salmon and trout may not be speared either, and spotted black grouper is absolutely protected under the Wildlife Act 1953. Marine reserves are no-take (Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve at Reotahi/Motukaroro), and rahui add local closures - Oke Bay at Rawhiti sits inside a hapu rahui and Whangaumu Bay carries a rahui closure running to 2028. 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: bronze whaler and, less often, white shark on the north-east coast, but boat traffic in the channels is the bigger day-to-day risk; exotic caulerpa Controlled Area Notices at Aotea and Ahuahu leave spearfishing legal while banning anchoring and seabed-contact methods.
Top spots
| Spot | Nearest city | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Koekoe Point (Whangape South) | Ahipara | Wild stretch of Tasman coast about 20 km south of Ahipara, rock ridges… |
| Cable Bay Reef | Mangōnui | Sandy bay with reef points at both ends and kelp on the rock, 3–8 m. |
| Orokaraka Bay | Matauri Bay | Small bay south of Matauri with boulders and kelp on both points, 3–10… |
| Tapu Point (Ōrongo) | Paihia (Bay of Islands) | Point on the southern shore of the inner bay, boulders and weedy… |
| Kororāreka Point | Russell | Rock point between Kororāreka and Long Beach, boulders and weed, 3–10 m. |
| Manganese Point | Whangārei | Point in the middle reaches of the harbour, boulders and weedy shelves… |
Reserves & no-take zones
- Rakaumangamanga Rāhui Tapu (Maunganui Bay – Oke Bay) — No-take / spearfishing banned: Spearfishing banned in this protected marine zone.
- Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserve — No-take / spearfishing banned: Spearfishing banned in this protected marine zone.
Cities in this region
FAQ
Do you need a licence to spearfish in Northland?
No. There is no recreational sea-fishing licence in New Zealand. Freshwater sports fish need a Fish and Game licence, but trout and salmon may not be speared anyway.
What are the bag limits?
Northland is in the MPI Auckland and Kermadec area: 20 finfish combined per fisher per day, plus 50 baitfish and 6 eels. Snapper is 7/day at 30 cm minimum on the east coast, 10/day at 27 cm on the Auckland west coast. Kina is 150 in FMA 1.
Can you spear crayfish?
No. Regulation 29(2) bans using a spear to take rock lobster anywhere in New Zealand, with fines up to 10,000 dollars, and it is an offence to possess a speared crayfish. Hand-gathering or a hand-operated loop only. The Parengarenga to Cape Rodney stretch is also closed to spiny rock lobster.
Which closures apply here?
Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve at Reotahi/Motukaroro is no-take. Oke Bay at Rawhiti lies inside the rahui tapu placed by Ngati Kuta and Patukeha, and Whangaumu Bay near Tutukaka carries a rahui closure running to 2028. Caulerpa Controlled Area Notices at Aotea and Ahuahu restrict anchoring, not spearfishing.
See also: Auckland & Hauraki Gulf