How to use the Kiwi fishing calendar
Planning your next fishing trip in Opotiki, New Zealand ? Today is a average day for fishing. Our comprehensive fishing almanac combines our popular bite times and moon phases, moon times, sunrise and sunset times, nearby tide timetable, and a 7-day fishing calendar so you always know the best fishing times in your area. We analyse major and minor solunar bite times, rate each day on a five-star scale, and pair it with localized weather forecasts so you can quickly tell whether today is a good day to fish without juggling multiple tabs. Be sure to bookmark this page so you never miss a bite. view bite times...
- Check our unique Solunar Clock for precise bite times and moon phases and the best moon phases.
- Use the Tide Clock section to sync bite times with high and low tide timetable.
- Analyze the forecasted weather conditions, such as wind, barometric pressure and rain to plan your fishing session.
- Jump to the 7-Day Fishing Calendar for an extended fishing forecast, then explore nearby fishing spots on the interactive map.
Opotiki, on the eastern Bay of Plenty and gateway to the East Cape, is a prime spot for coastal and estuary fishing from surf beaches to reef and offshore grounds. Fishing Opotiki delivers opportunities for snapper, kingfish, kahawai and whitebait year-round, with clear seasonal windows for each species and a variety of productive habitats. read more...
Some of the best fishing spots near Opotiki include: Ōhope Beach, Waiotahi Beach, Tirohanga Beach, Waioeka River, Motu River, Te Kaha Bay, etc. see full list
Sun and Moon Times
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Nautical Twilight begins:Sunrise:
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Sunset:Nautical Twilight ends:
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Moonrise:
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Moonset:
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Moon over:
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Moon under:
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Visibility:73%
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Waning Gibbous
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Distance to earth:394,822 kmProximity:25.5 %
Moon Phases for Opotiki
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average Day
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major Time:03:14 am - 05:14 am
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minor Time:10:28 am - 12:28 pm
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major Time:
03:46 pm -
05:46 pm
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minor Time:09:04 pm - 11:04 pm
Tides Times for Fishing: Sat, 6 Jun
Tide Clock
Tide Graph
Times
| Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| low | 04:50 am | 2.33 ft |
| high | 10:41 am | 6.1 ft |
| low | 04:54 pm | 2.07 ft |
| high | 11:23 pm | 6.4 ft |
Current Fishing Weather
Wind Speed and Direction
Wind Direction:
Wind Speed:
Wind Direction and Speed are one of the most important aspects for choosing a fishing spot. An offshore wind can help land-based anglers with longer casting distances, while an onshore wind will make kayak fishing safer. Often fish will also move to certain feeding areas depending on the wind direction. Check out the long term wind forecast at the charts below.
Fishing Barometer
Atmospheric Pressure:
Change since midnight:
Trend for next 6 hours:
Atmospheric or Barometric Pressure affects fish activity. The best fishing can be had on a rising barometer and also the time just before it is falling. A steady barometer in the higher ranges can also mean good fishing. A falling or low barometer reading without much change is usually not a very good time for fishing.
UV Effect on Fishing
As a rule of thumb, the higher the UV index, the deeper fish will move. Shallow water fishing is best done at times with a low UV index. When the UV is high, stick to early mornings, late evenings and shaded areas. The effect is less noticable in deeper water, but often a higher UV index can produce good results in the deep.
7 Day Fishing Weather
| Date | Major Bite Times | Minor Bite Times | Sun | Moon | Moonphase | Tide Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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R: S: |
R: S: |
Waning Gibbous |
low:
, 2.3 ft
high:
, 6.17 ft
, Coeff: 65
low:
, 2.07 ft
high:
, 6.43 ft
, Coeff: 71
|
|
|
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-
|
-
-
|
R: S: |
R: S: |
Waning Gibbous |
low:
, 2.33 ft
high:
, 6.1 ft
, Coeff: 63
low:
, 2.07 ft
high:
, 6.4 ft
, Coeff: 70
|
|
|
-
-
|
-
-
|
R: S: |
R: S: |
Third Quarter Moon |
low:
, 2.33 ft
high:
, 6.04 ft
, Coeff: 62
low:
, 2.1 ft
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|
|
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-
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-
|
R: S: |
R: S: |
Third Quarter Moon |
high:
, 6.4 ft
, Coeff: 70
low:
, 2.26 ft
high:
, 6 ft
, Coeff: 61
low:
, 2.2 ft
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|
|
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-
|
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-
|
R: S: |
R: S: |
Third Quarter Moon |
high:
, 6.43 ft
, Coeff: 71
low:
, 2.2 ft
high:
, 6 ft
, Coeff: 61
low:
, 2.36 ft
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|
|
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-
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-
|
R: S: |
R: S: |
Third Quarter Moon |
high:
, 6.5 ft
, Coeff: 72
low:
, 2.1 ft
high:
, 6.1 ft
, Coeff: 63
low:
, 2.46 ft
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|
-
-
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-
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R: S: |
R: S: |
Waning Crescent |
high:
, 6.56 ft
, Coeff: 74
low:
, 2 ft
high:
, 6.3 ft
, Coeff: 68
low:
, 2.49 ft
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|
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-
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-
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R: S: |
R: S: |
Waning Crescent |
high:
, 6.63 ft
, Coeff: 75
low:
, 2 ft
high:
, 6.53 ft
, Coeff: 73
low:
, 2.43 ft
|
Fishing Overview Opotiki
Opotiki's fisheries are driven by a mix of estuary, river mouth, surf beach, reef and nearby offshore grounds. The estuary and river mouths warm early in spring, attracting inanga (whitebait) upstream and providing easy access to juvenile mullet and flounder. Summer (December–February) is prime for nearshore sport species: snapper push onto the shallow reef and sand flats, kingfish patrol weed lines and gutters, and trevally and kahawai are dominant school species on bait schools and around structure. Autumn retains good snapper and tarakihi fishing as fish move between summer and deeper winter grounds. Winter concentrates effort on deeper reefs where tarakihi, john dory and gurnard feed, and beach anglers will find consistent flatfish and mullet action.
Habitats around Opotiki are varied and each requires a slightly different approach. The estuary and river mouths hold whitebait in spring and provide soft-bottom species such as flounder and mullet; drift soft plastics and small pipis on light leaders work well here. Rocky reef and kelp beds that fringe headlands and the harbour entrance are key kingfish and snapper locations—use live baits, poppers, or metal jigs along reef edges and current lines. Sandy gutters and offshore bommies 5–20m deep are ideal for snapper and trevally; anchor drifts, vertical jigs and baited running-balloon rigs are productive. For deeper gravel reefs out to the shelf, slow-baiting on heavier ledger rigs and vertical jigging will tempt tarakihi, john dory and gurnard.
Common techniques that consistently produce in Opotiki include: soft plastics on a 1/4–1oz jighead for trevally and kahawai along gutters; livebaiting and popper work for kingfish along wind-blown points and weedlines; slow pitch and vertical jigs for snapper in deeper structure and over reef; and simple running sinker rigs baited with squid strips, pilchard or fresh mussel for tarakihi and gurnard. Estuary anglers do well with small baits on light leaders for flounder and mullet, and whitebaiters target slack low-to-rising tides in spring creeks and backwaters.
Tactical tips to get the edge: target tide changes and current seams where bait congregates—snapper and kingfish key off these. Watch for bird activity and weed lines as signposts for kahawai and trevally. For shore-based snapper marks, fish the first and last two hours of the tide when fish push up onto flats. When drift-fishing reefs, vary presentation depth and retrieve speed; a slow stop-start jig retrieve often triggers follows into strikes. In estuaries, keep rigs light and subtle—flounder and mullet respond to natural presentations. Lastly, keep gear versatile: a 6–8kg spin outfit with a heavier braid backing and a 20–30lb leader covers most inshore Opotiki encounters, while a heavier overhead setup and metal jigs will handle larger kingfish and offshore targets.
The Best Fishing Spots around Opotiki
Ōhope Beach
Waiotahi Beach
Tirohanga Beach
Waioeka River
Motu River
Te Kaha Bay
Interactive Fishing Map for the greater Opotiki area
Beaches and Bays are ideal places for land-based fishing. If the beach is shallow and the water is clear then twilight times are usually the best times, especially when they coincide with a major or minor fishing time. Often the points on either side of a beach are the best spots. Or if the beach is large then look for irregularities in the breaking waves, indicating sandbanks and holes. We found 2 beaches and bays in this area.
Hikuwai Beach - 2.59344591994km , Waiotahi Beach - 6.31417511232km
Harbours and Marinas can often times be productive fishing spots for land based fishing as their sheltered environment attracts a wide variety of bait fish. Similar to river mouths, harbour entrances are also great places to fish as lots of fish will move in and out with the rising and falling tides. There are 1 main harbours in this area.
Opotiki Harbour - 3.37952699541km
We found a total of 40 potential fishing spots nearby Opotiki. Below you can find them organized on a map. Points, Headlands, Reefs, Islands, Channels, etc can all be productive fishing spots. As these are user submitted spots, there might be some errors in the exact location. You also need to cross check local fishing regulations. Some of the spots might be in or around marine reserves or other locations that cannot be fished. If you click on a location marker it will bring up some details and a quick link to google search, satellite maps and fishing times. Tip: Click/Tap on a new area to load more fishing spots.
Waioeka River - 1.06714542102km , Pakihi Stream - 1.52416242124km , Hikuwai Beach - 2.59344591994km , Opotiki Harbour - 3.37952699541km , Kukumoa Creek - 3.38933859895km , Otara River - 4.977274989km , Te Karaka Stream - 5.09306295021km , Tirohanga Stream - 5.63642745018km , Waiwhakatoitoi Stream - 6.31417511232km , Waiotahi Beach - 6.31417511232km , Waiotahi River - 7.71337417642km , Otakoi Stream - 7.80904980098km , Marawaiwai Stream - 8.85323771572km , Waiawa River - 8.92852315658km , Taheke Stream - 9.30191389315km , Ruahema Stream - 9.693192539km , Taipouri Stream - 10.446230633km , Waioeka River - 11.0966186407km , Te Whaiti Stream - 11.75695180029km , Oteakona Stream - 11.88218022015km , Te Kakaha Stream - 11.95213411743km , Cruen Creek - 12.11078242923km , Ruakaka Stream - 12.21939512336km , Whangakopikopiko Island - 12.25304471737km , Mangakakaho Stream - 12.54770646976km , Pataua Island - 12.83962338058km , Ngawaikui Stream - 12.99135434425km , Opape Stream - 13.03424349247km , Omuraaka Stream - 13.09520043016km , Te Waiti Stream - 13.15603290187km , Opaeroa Stream - 13.31564385075km , Oruamatanui Stream - 13.37280937604km , Tutaetoko Stream - 13.74926952811km , Pukeruru Point - 13.77527255573km , Motuotu Island - 13.77527255573km , Hokianga Island - 13.8107817487km , Oruamanganui Stream - 13.89944167028km , Kutarere Stream - 13.99603635505km , Te Awawairoa Stream - 14.14528185001km , Matahanea Creek - 14.34020688km
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