The Best Fishing Spots in Hawke's Bay Region
Hawke's Bay on New Zealand's east coast offers varied recreational fishing from sandy beaches, rocky headlands and estuaries to inshore and offshore waters. Anglers commonly target snapper, kingfish, trevally and school kahawai close to shore, with tasty bottom fish like gurnard, tarakihi and flounder found around reefs and gravel. Popular methods include surfcasting, rock fishing, boat fishing, bottom fishing and light tackle, while adventurous anglers can head offshore for tuna and occasional marlin. Freshwater enthusiasts can fish local rivers and lakes for brown trout and rainbow trout, making Hawke's Bay a diverse destination for shore, boat and freshwater recreational anglers.
Top Cities For Fishing
Sea Fishing
Akina
(14 km to coast)
Bay View
(4 km to coast)
Clive
(4 km to coast)
Flaxmere
(19 km to coast)
Hastings
(12 km to coast)
Haumoana
(1 km to coast)
Havelock North
(11 km to coast)
Mahora
(13 km to coast)
Maraenui
(5 km to coast)
Napier
(3 km to coast)
Onekawa
(6 km to coast)
Raupunga
(14 km to coast)
Raureka
(16 km to coast)
Taradale
(11 km to coast)
Te Awanga
(0 km to coast)
Wairoa
(3 km to coast)
Wairoa
(6 km to coast)
Whakatu
(8 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
Waimarama Beach
Waimarama Beach is a premier surfcasting stretch where holes and rips produce kahawai, snapper in warmer months, and reliable gurnard; mornings with light swell and a pushing tide often see bait and lure anglers scoring along the miles of sandy shoreline south of Hastings .
Te Awanga
Te Awanga’s inshore reefs and beach gutters yield snapper, gurnard, and kahawai, with stickbaits and live baits tempting summer kingfish; small boats and kayaks launch in calm conditions while surfcasters work the sand near Clifton and towards Ocean Beach .
Pourerere Beach
Pourerere Beach is a Central Hawke’s Bay favourite where long casts find gurnard, summer snapper, and passing kahawai; nearby reef edges and the river mouth area towards Aramoana can also fish well on settled seas.
Mahia Peninsula
Mahia Peninsula’s mix of rocky points, sandy bays, and offshore structure offers varied fishing for snapper, kingfish, kahawai, and reef species like blue moki and tarakihi; choose the lee side based on wind, with productive options from Mahia Beach to Oraka .
Mahia Beach
Mahia Beach provides accessible surfcasting for kahawai and gurnard, while boats working just offshore encounter snapper, kingfish, and tarakihi; early summer brings bait schools along the sand, with calmer days ideal for launching towards Mahia Peninsula reefs.
Cape Kidnappers
The rocky points and reefs around Cape Kidnappers attract baitfish and predators, producing summer shots at cruising kingfish plus reefy snapper, tarakihi, and blue moki; boats work the foul off the cape while rock fishers access ledges from Clifton on suitable tides.
Hawke Bay
The broad waters of Hawke Bay offer year-round action for kahawai, seasonal runs of snapper and kingfish, plus offshore gurnard, tarakihi, and occasional albacore tuna; boats work contour lines off Napier and Hastings while surfcasters target gutters along the coast when swell and water clarity align.
Blackhead
Blackhead’s rocky platforms and adjacent sands produce blue moki, snapper, and tarakihi, with kahawai schooling close when baitfish push in; small boats work the foul patches between Aramoana and Pourerere Beach in light northerlies.
Port of Napier
Around the Port of Napier, nearby breakwalls and charter departures put anglers onto kahawai, schooling trevally, summer kingfish, and deeper-reef tarakihi and hapuku; it’s a hub for quick access to productive inshore reefs just north and south of Napier .
Waipatiki Beach
Waipatiki Beach’s scenic cove features channels that funnel baitfish to prowling kahawai and occasional snapper, with winter gurnard in the deeper gutters; fish the change of light and incoming tide, and shift along the beach to track working birds moving up from Whirinaki .
Clifton
Clifton sits at the gateway to Cape Kidnappers, giving access to reefy country that holds tarakihi, snapper, and roaming kingfish; beach fishers target evening tides near the campground while trailer boats head for the foul edges towards Cape Kidnappers .
Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach offers classic surfcasting to gutters that hold kahawai, gurnard, and summer snapper, with the odd passing kingfish ambushing bait schools; fish the low-light change with long-cast baits or metal lures along the expansive sand south of Te Awanga .
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Lake Waikaremoana
Lake Waikaremoana is a deep, clear lake famed for quality rainbow trout and large brown trout; troll drop-offs at first light, then switch to soft-baits and smelt patterns along weed edges, with sheltered bays fishing well near Aniwaniwa and Onepoto .
Lake Tutira
Lake Tutira north of Napier is a convenient stillwater for rainbow trout and brown trout, with shoreline weedbeds suiting soft-baits and fly; early mornings and overcast days see cruising fish within casting range, while small craft quietly probe drop-offs.
Tutaekuri River
The Tutaekuri River features easy-access riffle-and-run water holding rainbow trout and brown trout, with summer hatches and autumn streamer fishing around deeper bends; popular beats sit near Puketapu and downstream towards Taradale .
Tukituki River
The Tukituki River is renowned for sight-fishing to brown trout and rainbow trout in clear riffles and pools, with summer terrestrial hatches and evening caddis bringing fish up; the lower reaches near Clive also see sea-runs during whitebait and baitfish movements.
Ngaruroro River
The Ngaruroro River’s freestone character supports athletic rainbow trout and selective brown trout, with clear flows ideal for nymphing and dry-fly; lower braids near Fernhill and Omahu can fire when flows settle after rain pulses.
Mohaka River
The Mohaka River offers big-water runs and pocket-water holding strong rainbow trout and wary brown trout; drift missions and raft access open up remote beats, while accessible reaches near State Highway 5 reward nymph and streamer anglers through much of the season.
Top Saltwater & Freshwater Spots
Wairoa River
The Wairoa River and its lower estuary provide mixed opportunities for sea-run trout, kahawai, and upriver brown trout; work tidal edges near Wairoa township or head upstream to clearer pools after freshes for active fish.