Spearfishing Southland and Foveaux Strait
Bluff, Riverton and Stewart Island are the cold end of New Zealand: 8-14 C water, hard Foveaux tide, and a white-shark aggregation that peaks March to June.
Bluff dives Stirling Point's rock platforms, Ocean Beach west of Bluff Hill, and Argyle Rock and Channel Rocks at the harbour entrance where the Foveaux flow makes slack the only option. Riverton is partly sheltered behind Howells Point - Riverton Rocks/Taramea, Hendersons Bay, Colac Bay/Oraka and Balancing Rock, 2-9 m of kelp over boulder. Stewart Island/Rakiura is the clear water: Halfmoon Bay at Oban, Horseshoe Bay, Ackers Point and Ringaringa Beach, 3-10 m with 4-8 m of visibility. Paua, blue cod and butterfish are the staples, with trumpeter, blue moki, tarakihi, kahawai and hapuku on the list.
Water is 8-14 C year round - this is dry-suit or thick-wetsuit diving in any month. Foveaux Strait tide and Southland swell mean most of this coast is boat access with a real weather window; our data rates all three towns marginal for spearfishing suitability, which is a statement about access and conditions rather than about the fish.
Rules: no licence. Southland is its own MPI area, from Awarua Point to Slope Point including Foveaux Strait and Stewart Island, and excluding Fiordland: 30 finfish combined per fisher per day. Blue cod is 10/day in the Southern area (Taiaroa Head to Sand Hill Point) and may be landed headed and gutted at a 24 cm headed minimum; the South West area is 10/day but whole or gutted only. Mussels are 25, except at Stewart Island where it is 50. The scallop season here is 1 October to 15 March, limit 10 at 100 mm - different from the rest of the country. Crayfish may never be speared. See 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: white sharks aggregate at the Titi/Muttonbird Islands and north-east Stewart Island, present from late summer to early winter and peaking March to June on NIWA/DOC tagging - our data rates all three towns extreme, and every local card says go with local knowledge.
Top spots
| Spot | Nearest city | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Beach | Bluff | This reef mark rests on 2 saved points of other people's and on an OSM… |
| Hendersons Bay (Riverton) | Riverton | Half-sheltered bay at Riverton Rocks, rock and sand, 2–8 m. |
| The Neck — outer side (Te Wehi-a-Te-Wera) | Stewart Island (Oban) | The outer shore of The Neck, the peninsula across the mouth of… |
| Thule Bay (Paterson Inlet) | Stewart Island (Oban) | Thule Bay, on the forested harbour of Paterson Inlet, has kelp over… |
| Argyle Rock (Bluff) | Bluff | Rock at the entrance to Bluff harbour, kelp over boulders, 3–9 m. |
| Howells Point / Taramea | Riverton | The rock point at Riverton Rocks: kelp over the stone and sand further… |
Cities in this region
FAQ
How serious is the white-shark risk in Foveaux Strait?
It is the highest-rated in our dataset - extreme at Bluff, Riverton and Stewart Island. White sharks aggregate at the Titi/Muttonbird Islands and north-east Stewart Island, present from late summer to early winter and peaking March to June on NIWA and DOC tagging.
What are the blue cod rules?
10 per day in the Southern area from Taiaroa Head to Sand Hill Point, and they may be landed headed and gutted with a 24 cm headed minimum. In the South West area it is 10 per day but whole or gutted only.
How cold is the water?
8-14 C year round. Combined with Foveaux Strait tide and Southland swell, most of this coast is boat access on a genuine weather window.
Is Stewart Island worth it?
For clear cold water, yes - Halfmoon Bay and Horseshoe Bay run 4-8 m of visibility. But Rakiura is a white-shark aggregation area and our cards call local knowledge essential, not optional.
See also: Otago · West Coast (South Island)