The Best Fishing Spots in Northland

In Northland, New Zealand, fishing is excellent year-round across sheltered bays, estuaries, rocky reefs, sandy beaches and nearby offshore grounds. Popular targets are inshore favourites like snapper, kingfish, trevally and kahawai, while deeper water and pelagic trips often produce hapuku, tuna and seasonal marlin. You can fish from shore, kayak or boat using bait, light-tackle jigging and trolling, making Northland a versatile region for both casual and experienced anglers.

Top Cities For Fishing

Sea Fishing

Ahipara (1 km to coast)
Cable Bay (0 km to coast)
Dargaville (1 km to coast)
Haruru (4 km to coast)
Hikurangi (17 km to coast)
Kaeo (1 km to coast)
Kaikohe (19 km to coast)
Kaiwaka (0 km to coast)
Kawakawa (9 km to coast)
Kerikeri (8 km to coast)
Mangawhai (7 km to coast)
Mangawhai Heads (6 km to coast)
Maungatapere (17 km to coast)
Maungaturoto (5 km to coast)
Moerewa (13 km to coast)
Morningside (4 km to coast)
Ngunguru (3 km to coast)
Onerahi (1 km to coast)
Opua (1 km to coast)
Otangarei (7 km to coast)
Paihia (1 km to coast)
Raumanga (6 km to coast)
Rawene (2 km to coast)
Ruakaka (3 km to coast)
Ruawai (0 km to coast)
Russell (3 km to coast)
Taipa (1 km to coast)
Tangiteroria (16 km to coast)
Tikipunga (6 km to coast)
Waimate North (20 km to coast)
Waipu (5 km to coast)
Waitangi (2 km to coast)
Whangarei (4 km to coast)
Whangarei Heads (2 km to coast)

Top Saltwater Fishing Spots

Whangarei Harbour
Tidal channels, flats, and headlands hold year-round snapper, trevally, and summer kingfish; popular areas include Urquharts Bay, Marsden Point, and Parua Bay, with bait and lure fishing effective on current changes.
Waipu Cove
A family-friendly beach with reliable surfcasting for pan-sized snapper, gurnard, and kahawai; nearby points along the Waipu coastline offer extra depth and current for lure and bait presentations.
Tutukaka Harbour
Gateway to a rich stretch of coast where inshore reefs and headlands hold snapper, ambush john dory, and summer kingfish; ramps and charters from Tutukaka give quick access, while sheltered points fish well from shore on tidal movement.
Rangaunu Harbour
Expansive flats and channels supporting snapper, gurnard, and kahawai, with summertime chances at kingfish; access via East Beach and local ramps makes it popular for soft-baits and light straylines.
Matauri Bay
Lush kelp edges and sand patches yield reliable snapper and visiting kingfish, with boaters often venturing toward the Cavalli Islands; the beach and rocky points offer productive strayline and lure sessions in clear water.
Bay of Islands
A premier Northland fishery with prolific snapper, summertime kingfish, and seasonal offshore tuna and marlin; easy access and charters from Paihia, Russell, and Opua make it ideal for boat missions, while sheltered points and wharves offer excellent shore action.
Houhora Harbour
A famed northern harbour for summer kingfish around markers and current lines, plus consistent snapper and trevally; easy launching near Pukenui with shore fishing along the channel edges and wharf structure.
Hokianga Harbour
A scenic west coast harbour producing kahawai, trevally, and solid snapper around sandbanks and channel mouths; shore and boat options abound near Omapere and Opononi, with the bar area fishing well in settled conditions.
Doubtless Bay
A broad, sheltered bay producing consistent snapper, kahawai, and kingfish; beach and rock options at Coopers Beach, Taipa, and Cable Bay complement easy boat access to inshore reefs and sand patches.
Bream Bay
A productive stretch from Ruakaka to Waipu where surf beaches and nearshore reefs yield snapper, schooling kahawai, and roaming kingfish; boaters work the sand/reef edges while surfcasters target gutters on the turn of light.
Ahipara
At the southern end of Ninety Mile, the points and beaches around the Ahipara settlement consistently produce surfcasting snapper, kahawai, and seasonal sharks; nearby Shipwreck Bay offers structure that concentrates bait and predators.
Ocean Beach
At Whangarei Heads, this scenic surf beach has defined gutters producing snapper, trevally, and energetic kahawai; calm to moderate swell days and dawn/dusk windows are particularly productive.
Ninety Mile Beach
An iconic surfcasting coastline famed for snapper, trevally, and powerful summer sharks; long gutters and rips are accessible from entrances at Ahipara and Waipapakauri, with prime bite times around dawn and dusk on a pushing tide.
Karikari Peninsula
Clear waters and diverse structure around Tokerau Beach, Whatuwhiwhi, and Matai Bay deliver top-notch snapper, kingfish, and john dory; shore-based ledges and beach gutters fish well, with boats accessing adjacent reefs.
Tokerau Beach
A long, easily accessed Karikari strand where evening and early morning sessions produce quality snapper, gurnard, and schooling kahawai; anglers target gutters and holes along the beach with light straylines or long-cast rigs.
Ruakaka Beach
Popular surf beach in Bream Bay where shifting bars and channels hold snapper, trevally, and frequent kahawai work-ups; fish the change of light or a building tide for best results.

Top Freshwater Fishing Spots

Lake Waikare
Part of the Kai Iwi Lakes, this shallow, weedy lake fishes well for rainbow trout at weed lines and inflow areas; small spoons, soft plastics, and flies work from shore, while slow trolling covers productive contours.
Lake Manuwai
A Kerikeri-area reservoir known for stocked rainbow trout and occasional brown trout; anglers troll and spin along the dam wall and drop-offs, with shoreline access near Kerikeri making it a convenient Northland freshwater option.