National guide
Fishing in New Zealand: One Spot Near Each of Our 20 Cities
From the wharves of the Manukau to the Mataura River in Southland, here’s one fishing spot near every Explore city, picked from each city’s own fishing guide. About half are sea spots where you need no licence; the rest are trout and salmon water, where you do.
At a glance
| City | Spot | Water | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whangārei | Ruakākā Beach | Sea: surf beach | Kahawai, snapper |
| Auckland | Cornwallis Wharf | Sea: harbour wharf | Kingfish, john dory, snapper |
| Pukekohe | Clarks Beach | Sea: harbour beach | Snapper |
| Hamilton | Lake Karāpiro | Fresh: hydro lake | Rainbow and brown trout |
| Tauranga | Pāpāmoa Beach | Sea: surf beach | Snapper, kahawai, gurnard |
| Rotorua | Lake Tarawera | Fresh: deep lake | Rainbow trout |
| Taupō | Tongariro River | Fresh: trout river | Rainbow and brown trout |
| Gisborne | Tolaga Bay Wharf | Sea: wharf | Kahawai, kingfish |
| Napier | Marine Parade Beach | Sea: shingle beach | Kahawai, snapper, gurnard |
| Hastings | Tukituki River | Fresh: shingle river | Brown and rainbow trout |
| New Plymouth | Lee Breakwater | Sea: breakwater | Kingfish, john dory, cod |
| Whanganui | North Mole | Sea and river mouth | Kahawai, sea-run trout |
| Palmerston North | Manawatū River | Fresh: river | Brown and rainbow trout, perch |
| Wellington | Hutt River | Fresh: river | Brown trout |
| Nelson | Rabbit Island | Sea: sandy beach | Ask a local tackle shop |
| Blenheim | Wairau River | Fresh: braided river | Brown trout, salmon |
| Christchurch | Waimakariri River | Fresh: braided river | Salmon, trout |
| Timaru | Ōpihi River | Fresh: lowland river | Brown trout, salmon |
| Dunedin | Lake Waihola | Fresh: shallow tidal lake | Perch, trout |
| Invercargill | Mataura River | Fresh: trout river | Brown trout |
North Island
Bream Bay, about 30 min south of Whangārei
Ruakākā Beach
- Free
- Surfcasting
- No licence
The northern end of Bream Bay's long white-sand beach, where surfcasters fish the open beach and the Ruakākā River mouth. The mouth is a wildlife refuge where dotterels nest, so keep to the marked tracks and read the refuge rules before you walk out.
Full guide on Explore WhangāreiMore fishing spots near Whangārei
Manukau Harbour, Waitākere Ranges Regional Park
Cornwallis Wharf
- Free
- Wharf
- No licence
A 193 m timber wharf on the Manukau, the last of the harbour's old ferry wharves. Locals fish it around high tide, catching baitfish off the piles first and using them live for kingfish and john dory. Currents are strong near the end, and the park gates close in the evening.
Full guide on Explore AucklandMore fishing spots near Auckland
Manukau Harbour, Waiuku River mouth
Clarks Beach
- Free
- Boat ramp
- No licence
A seaside village inside the Manukau where an all-tide boat ramp runs into the Waiuku River channel. Snapper are the main catch; shore anglers fish the top half of the tide, because the flats in front of the village dry out at low water.
Full guide on Explore PukekoheMore fishing spots near Pukekohe
Waikato River, off State Highway 1
Lake Karāpiro
- Open all year
- Trophy trout
- Licence needed
Fish & Game rates the upper lake, below Arapuni Dam, as the trophy trout water of the Auckland/Waikato region, with big browns and rainbows. Troll the main lake or fish the stream mouths from the shore, and carry a Fish & Game licence.
Full guide on Explore HamiltonMore fishing spots near Hamilton
Open coast between the Mount and the Kaituna River
Pāpāmoa Beach
- Free
- Surfcasting
- No licence
More than 20 km of open surf beach with access from reserves all along Pāpāmoa Beach Road. Locals surfcast at dawn, dusk and after dark, looking for where the offshore bar comes within casting range. No vehicles on the sand.
Full guide on Explore TaurangaMore fishing spots near Tauranga
Under Mount Tarawera, 17.5 km from Rotorua
Lake Tarawera
- Trophy trout
- Fly and spin only
- Licence needed
A deep, clear lake known for the size of its rainbow trout. Most people troll or jig from a boat in summer, while fly anglers work the stream mouths in the cooler months. The main season is 1 October to 30 June, all inflowing streams are closed, and no bait is allowed.
Full guide on Explore RotoruaMore fishing spots near Rotorua
Tūrangi, at the south end of Lake Taupō
Tongariro River
- Taupō licence
- Mostly fly only
- Winter runs
The best-known trout river in the Taupō fishery, famous for its winter runs of spawning rainbows. It is mostly fly only and fishable from 5am to midnight. You need a Taupō fishing licence from DOC; a Fish & Game licence is not valid here.
Ūawa, about 55 km north of Gisborne
Tolaga Bay Wharf
- Free
- Historic wharf
- Inshore half open
A 660 m historic concrete wharf whose outer half has been fenced off since Cyclone Hale in 2023. Locals still fish and walk the open inshore half; kahawai are the reliable catch, mainly near the Ūawa River mouth, and kingfish are possible.
Full guide on Explore GisborneMore fishing spots near Gisborne
Seafront beside central Napier
Marine Parade Beach
- Free
- Surfcasting
- No licence
A steep shingle beach along Marine Parade where locals have surfcast for decades, often before sunrise. Deep water close in puts kahawai within easy reach, but it also makes the water's edge dangerous, so stay well back from the waves.
Red Bridge to Black Bridge, Haumoana
Tukituki River
- Open all year (lower)
- Dry fly
- Licence needed
One of Hawke's Bay's best-known trout rivers, rated by Fish & Game for its summer dry-fly fishing. Wild trout hold in long runs and under the willows, and in spring sea-run trout chase whitebait near the mouth. Bait is allowed below Red Bridge.
Full guide on Explore HastingsMore fishing spots near Hastings
Port Taranaki, by Ngāmotu Beach
Lee Breakwater
- Free
- Breakwater
- No licence
The public breakwater on the east side of Port Taranaki, beside a free boat ramp. It's the place to fish at the port, since the wharves and Main Breakwater are closed to the public. Its outer end borders the Sugar Loaf Islands protected area, which has its own rules.
Full guide on Explore New PlymouthMore fishing spots near New Plymouth
Castlecliff, Whanganui River mouth
North Mole
- Free
- Rock wall
- Kahawai
A rock wall of more than 600 m on the north side of the river mouth, walkable to the end. Anglers fish it for kahawai, and a few large sea-run brown trout are caught here each season. Kahawai need no licence, but trout need a Fish & Game licence because the mouth counts as freshwater.
Full guide on Explore WhanganuiMore fishing spots near Whanganui
From the Gorge through Palmerston North
Manawatū River
- Open all year
- Fly, spin or bait
- Licence needed
The river runs right through the city, and most of the lower river's trout fishing happens between the Manawatū Gorge and Palmerston North. The city walkway alone gives more than 9 km of public access, and perch are common around and below the city.
Full guide on Explore Palmerston NorthMore fishing spots near Palmerston North
Kaitoke to Petone, beside the Hutt River Trail
Hutt River (Te Awa Kairangi)
- Open all year
- Easy access
- Licence needed
A brown trout river that stays open all year, with the Hutt River Trail running alongside for easy access. Fly fishing and spinning work best around sunrise and in the evening. Bait is restricted and the tributaries have their own season, so check the rules first.
Full guide on Explore WellingtonMore fishing spots near Wellington
South Island
Tasman Bay, west of Richmond
Rabbit Island (Moturoa)
- Free
- Surfcasting
- No dogs
A long, gently sloping beach facing Tasman Bay, with grass, shade, barbecues and parking right behind the sand. It suits a relaxed day of surfcasting with the family; ask at a Nelson or Richmond tackle shop what's been biting. The reserve is open in daylight only, and dogs aren't allowed on the island.
Wairau Valley to the sea near Blenheim
Wairau River
- Salmon in summer
- Open all year (main stem)
- Licence needed
Marlborough's big braided river, with more than 140 km of fishable water. It holds brown trout, sea-run browns in the lower reaches and a growing number of rainbows, and quinnat salmon run up the lower river from late January to April. Conders Bend near Renwick is a popular access.
Full guide on Explore BlenheimMore fishing spots near Blenheim
Kaiapoi and Kairaki, just north of the city
Waimakariri River
- Sea-run salmon
- Feb and Mar run
- Licences needed
A snow-fed braided river with a sea-run salmon fishery as well as brown and rainbow trout. The salmon run peaks in February and March. You need a sports fishing licence, plus a sea-run salmon licence and bag card to fish for salmon, and McIntosh's Rocks suits beginners.
Full guide on Explore ChristchurchMore fishing spots near Christchurch
Milford Huts to Pleasant Point
Ōpihi River
- Trout and salmon
- Season Oct to Apr
- Licence needed
A willow-lined lowland river just north of Timaru with brown trout through most of its length and a small Chinook salmon run, usually in February. Fish & Game rates the water from the mouth at Milford Huts up to the SH1 bridge as the best for both.
Waihola, 35 km south of Dunedin on SH1
Lake Waihola
- Open all year
- Good for kids
- Licence needed
A large, very shallow lake on the Taieri Plain with plenty of perch and the odd trout, which makes it a good first fishing trip for children. Fish from the shore at the township or launch a small boat behind the holiday park. Perch need a Fish & Game licence too.
Full guide on Explore DunedinMore fishing spots near Dunedin
Mataura township, 53 km north-east of Invercargill
Mataura River
- Famous dry fly
- Season Oct to May
- Licence needed
One of Southland's best-known brown trout rivers, famous for its afternoon mayfly hatches and dry-fly fishing. There's an anglers' access off Kana Street in Mataura township, and boat fishing isn't allowed above Mataura Island Bridge.
Full guide on Explore InvercargillMore fishing spots near Invercargill
Before you fish
- Sea or fresh decides the licence. Sea fishing needs no licence, but you must follow MPI’s size and bag limits. Trout, salmon and perch need a Fish & Game licence, and that includes children: under-12s still need one, but it’s free.
- Taupō is different. The Taupō fishing district, including the Tongariro River, needs a Taupō licence from DOC. A Fish & Game licence isn’t valid there.
- Check the rules each time. Limits, seasons and closed areas change. The free NZ Fishing Rules app from MPI covers the sea and works without signal; Fish & Game publishes the rules for each freshwater region.
- Respect the water. Rivers rise fast after rain, and steep beaches like Napier’s drop into deep water close in. Wear a lifejacket on rocks and in boats, and fish with someone else.
Questions people ask
Do I need a fishing licence in New Zealand?
Not for sea fishing. For freshwater sports fish (trout, salmon and perch) you need a Fish & Game licence, or a DOC licence in the Taupō district. Kids under 12 still need one, but it’s free. Fish & Game sells licences online.
When does trout season open?
Most Fish & Game waters open on 1 October, and many lowland rivers stay open all year in their lower reaches. Each entry above gives the season for that spot, and some rivers have different rules on different stretches.
Where can I catch a salmon?
The Canterbury rivers are the place: the Waimakariri near Christchurch and the Ōpihi near Timaru have sea-run salmon runs, mostly in February and March, and salmon also run up the Wairau in Marlborough. You need a sea-run salmon licence and bag card on top of the standard licence.
Where is good fishing for kids?
Lake Waihola near Dunedin has plenty of perch close to shore, and Rabbit Island near Nelson and Pāpāmoa Beach in Tauranga are easy, safe-feeling beaches to cast from. Wharves like Cornwallis in Auckland are popular with families too; keep children back from the edge.
Looking for more in one city? See all 20 Explore city guides. Also see Beaches in New Zealand and Cycle trails in New Zealand.