Aramoana Mole Fishing: Breakwater at the Otago Harbour Entrance

Last updated November 2026

The Aramoana Mole is the long rock breakwater that runs out from Aramoana village to the mouth of Otago Harbour, about 25 km from Dunedin past Port Chalmers. It is about 1,200 metres long, with open sea on one side and the harbour entrance on the other, and a car park at its start used by anglers and walkers.

The line of the Mole matters for the rules: the harbour side faces the Ōtākou Mātaitai, the ocean side does not, and set nets are banned at the entrance. This guide covers fishing from the Mole itself; the beaches either side are covered in our Aramoana Spit guide.

At a Glance

Location

Aramoana village, at the north side of the Otago Harbour entrance, 25 km from Dunedin on SH88 past Port Chalmers

Type

Rock breakwater about 1,200 m long, with a marker light on the tip

Water

Pacific coast on the north-west side, Otago Harbour entrance on the south-east side (sea)

Access

Car park at the start of the Mole, at the end of Mole Road

Toilets

Aramoana Domain, with a picnic area

Suits

Experienced anglers in calm weather; uneven rock, not for small children

Tide port

Spit Wharf (LINZ standard port at the harbour entrance)

Rules

MPI South-East; harbour side inside the Ōtākou Mātaitai; set nets banned at the entrance

Licence

None needed for sea fishing

The Background

The Mole is an artificial breakwater begun in 1884, built with prison labour. It runs north-east from the end of Mole Road, at the landward end of Aramoana village, straight out to the harbour entrance. Its job is to keep the harbour’s main channel clear, and it still does: the deep channel, Huikaau, runs between The Spit and Harington Point on the Otago Peninsula, with Taiaroa Head across the entrance to the east.

Standing on the Mole you have two different waters. On the north-west side, Spit Beach curves away toward Heyward Point, with the dunes of the Aramoana Recreation Reserve behind it, and the swell comes straight off the Pacific.

On the south-east side, a sandy harbour beach curves round to The Spit, and the water is the harbour entrance, where everything moving between the harbour and the sea passes the end of the Mole.

Aramoana is Māori for “pathway of the sea”. The saltmarsh behind the spit is protected and DOC describes it as an area of national significance. The rocks have long been fished and dived: in the early 1980s Dunedin’s dive clubs agreed a voluntary no-fishing area near the Mole, because spearfishing was thinning out the fish there.

How to Fish Aramoana Mole

Where to stand

The whole Mole is rock, so you fish from the top of the wall and cast off either side. Choose your side for the conditions and the rules. The north-west side faces open sea and takes the swell.

The south-east side faces the harbour entrance and the shipping channel, and it is inside the Ōtākou Mātaitai, so read the rules section before you fish it. The outer end is the deepest, most exposed water and the furthest walk, about 1.2 km from the car park.

What to catch

• Salmon: Otago Harbour’s salmon fishery is restocked every year, and boats troll for salmon in the harbour and outside the entrance off Taiaroa Head. The Mole sits right at that entrance. Ask at a Dunedin tackle shop whether salmon are moving before you make the drive.
• Rock and channel fish: what you catch off the wall changes with the season, the tide and the swell. Ask at a tackle shop for what has been caught recently, and take a few baits and some lures.

Reading the conditions

Check the MetService marine forecast for swell and wind before you go. A calm day with little swell is the time to fish the Mole.

Moving water around the tide changes usually fishes better than slack water, but currents run strongly through the narrow entrance and main channel, so use enough weight to hold bottom and expect to lose some gear in the rocks.

What to bring

Sturdy footwear with good grip, a long-handled landing net or drop net (the boulders make it awkward to reach a fish at the water), spare rigs and sinkers, and warm, windproof clothing. There is nothing to buy at Aramoana, so bring bait and food from the city.

Getting There and Facilities

• Road: follow SH88 to Port Chalmers and carry on to Aramoana, 25 km from Dunedin. Mole Road leads to the start of the breakwater.
• Parking: the car park at the start of the Mole. There is a second car park at the junction of Muri Street and Moana Street.
• Toilets: Aramoana Domain has public toilets and a picnic area.
• Drones: flying a drone in the area without a DOC permit is prohibited.
• More to do: for the beaches, saltmarsh and wildlife, see our Aramoana guide. For fishing across the entrance by boat, see our Taiaroa Head guide.

Rules and Safety

• Sea fishing here follows MPI’s South-East rules. No licence is needed.
• Ōtākou Mātaitai: the reserve’s boundary starts at the end of the Mole and runs across the entrance to Taiaroa Head, so the harbour (south-east) side of the Mole faces water inside the reserve and the ocean (north-west) side faces water outside it. Commercial fishing is banned inside a mātaitai. Recreational fishing carries on under the normal MPI rules, plus any bylaws the tangata tiaki set for the reserve. No Ōtākou bylaws were listed on MPI’s South-East rules page when we checked in October 2026, but check again before you fish the harbour side.
• Set nets: the use or possession of set nets is banned in a closed area at the Otago Harbour entrance. Its first corner is at the tip of the Mole, and MPI’s South-East rules page has the map and coordinates.
• Voluntary dive area: the no-fishing area the dive clubs agreed near the Mole in the early 1980s is voluntary, not a legal reserve. It does not change the MPI rules, but if you plan to dive or spearfish, ask a Dunedin dive club whether it is still observed and where it is.
• Shipping: large ships use the channel past the end of the Mole on their way to and from Port Chalmers. Keep your gear clear of passing vessels. Boats fishing the channel must follow the ORC Navigation Safety Bylaw 2026.
• The rock wall: the Mole is uneven boulders with open sea on one side. Rock gets slippery when wet, and swell can push waves up the seaward face. Stay well back from the edge, never turn your back on the sea, and do not go out in big seas. Fish with a friend and tell someone when you expect back.
• Tsunami: DOC lists the Aramoana area as at risk. If a siren sounds or an alert is issued, leave the Mole and move to higher ground.
• Seals: seals haul out on the rocks around the spit. DOC asks people to stay at least 20 m away and not to disturb them.

Tackle and Bait Nearby

• Hunting & Fishing Dunedin (Allan Millars), 141 Crawford Street, central Dunedin: fishing tackle, bait and local advice. It is the place to ask what is being caught at the entrance.

Official Sources for Aramoana Mole

Common Questions

Where is the Aramoana Mole?
At Aramoana village on the north side of the Otago Harbour entrance, 25 km from Dunedin on SH88 past Port Chalmers. Park at the start of the Mole at the end of Mole Road.

How long is the Mole?
About 1,200 metres. It is a rock breakwater, so allow time for the walk out and back on uneven ground.

Do I need a fishing licence?
No. Sea fishing needs no licence, but MPI’s South-East size and daily limits apply.

Is the Mole inside the Ōtākou Mātaitai?
The mātaitai boundary runs from the end of the Mole to Taiaroa Head. The harbour side of the Mole faces water inside the reserve and the ocean side faces water outside it. Recreational fishing is allowed under MPI rules plus any reserve bylaws.

Can I use a set net off the Mole?
No. Set nets are banned in a closed area at the harbour entrance that starts at the tip of the Mole.

What can I catch off the Mole?
Salmon move through the entrance, where the harbour’s restocked fishery is trolled by boats. What turns up off the rocks changes with the season, so ask at a Dunedin tackle shop before you go.

When should I not fish the Mole?
In any big swell or strong onshore wind. Waves can come up the seaward face and the rocks get slippery. Check the MetService marine forecast first.

Are there toilets at Aramoana?
Yes. Aramoana Domain has public toilets and a picnic area.

Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.

Sources and data notes 1

• Tides today: Tide predictions: LINZ (CC BY 3.0 NZ).