Taiaroa Head Fishing: Boat Fishing at the Otago Harbour Entrance

Last updated October 2026

Taiaroa Head, or Pukekura, is the tip of the Otago Peninsula at the entrance to Otago Harbour. It is a boat fishing spot only. The headland is a nature reserve that the public can’t enter, so there is no shore or rock fishing here.

From a boat, locals troll for salmon inside the entrance and off the head, and fish for blue cod on the open coast to the south and east. You launch inside the harbour, and you share the entrance channel with ships heading to and from Port Chalmers.

At a Glance

Location

Otago Harbour entrance, at the tip of the Otago Peninsula

Access

Boat only: the Pukekura/Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve is closed to the public

Main species

Salmon (trolled) in and outside the entrance; blue cod south and east of the head

Launching

Careys Bay (Port Chalmers) and Bayfield jetties and ramps; Deborah Bay dinghy ramp

Radio

Harbour Control on VHF channel 14

Tide port

Spit Wharf (LINZ standard port)

Rules

MPI South-East; Ōtākou Mātaitai inside the Mole to Taiaroa Head line; set nets banned at the entrance

Lifejackets

Must be worn at all times on boats 6 m or less

Licence

None needed for sea fishing

The Background

Pukekura is the Māori name for the headland; European settlers later named it Taiaroa Head. The Pukekura/Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve is managed by Te Poari a Pukekura, a joint trust of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou members, the Korako Karetai Trust, the Dunedin City Council and DOC.

The public can’t enter the reserve. You can see part of it on a guided tour to the Richdale Observatory, booked through the Royal Albatross Centre.

The head is the only mainland albatross colony in the Southern Hemisphere. About 200 northern royal albatross (toroa) live on the headland. Otago shags nest on the slope below the observatory, around 600 pairs of little penguins nest on the headland, fur seals breed here and sea lions haul out. Anglers fishing off Dunedin often see albatross, penguins and seals.

The harbour entrance is narrow, and ORC warns of strong currents near the entrance and in the main channel. Ships use the channel to reach Port Chalmers, so the harbour has its own navigation rules for small boats, set out in the ORC Navigation Safety Bylaw.

The salmon here are a stocked fishery. The fishery began with quinnat salmon smolt released into a river near Dunedin in 1985. Hatchery-reared salmon are now released into the harbour each year, with the Otago branch of the New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association funding the restocking.

The road ends at the Royal Albatross Centre car park, 32 km from central Dunedin. It is a place to look at the water and the wildlife, not to fish from. For shore fishing across the entrance, see our Aramoana Spit fishing guide.

How to Fish Taiaroa Head

Salmon trolling

Trolling is by far the most productive way to catch Otago Harbour salmon. Locals troll both inside the harbour and outside the entrance off the head. The fish gather in certain spots, which anglers find with the echo sounder, and most are caught on or near the bottom.

A paravane is the most popular way to get a spinner down, and you can run several at once without tangling. Some boats use downriggers. Trolling with handheld rods or lines is allowed in the shipping channel, except inside the moving prohibited zone around a ship.

Blue cod

Blue cod are fished on the open coast south and east of Taiaroa Head. Fish a baited rig on the bottom. Keep an eye on how many you have on board before you head home through the harbour: see Rules and Safety.

Conditions

Waves inside the harbour are wind-driven, mostly from the north and north-east or the south and south-west. Outside the head you are on the open coast.

Check the MetService marine forecast before you go, and allow for the strong currents through the entrance on your way out and back. Ask at a tackle shop for where the salmon and cod have been showing recently.

Getting There and Facilities

• Launching: the Dunedin City Council runs a jetty and ramp at Careys Bay near Port Chalmers and at Bayfield, and a dinghy ramp at Deborah Bay. There is also a council jetty at Wellers Rock near Harington Point. Clear the ramp quickly, and don’t rig or wash boats on it or leave bait behind.
• By road: the Royal Albatross Centre is a 32 km drive from central Dunedin. Allow 50 to 60 minutes. The centre is open daily from 10:15am until dusk, with the Toroa Café and accessible toilets.
• Viewing: there is no public access past the Royal Albatross Centre. The free cliff viewing platform and the Pilots Beach viewing platform are open without a tour.
• Dogs: the centre asks visitors not to bring dogs or other pets, as they disturb and can harm the wildlife. Guide dogs are welcome.

Rules and Safety

• Sea fishing here follows MPI’s South-East rules. No licence is needed. Blue cod limits are set by area, and the open coast south and east of the head and the harbour have been in different blue cod areas. When you carry blue cod back through an area with a lower limit, the lower limit applies. Check the MPI rules or the NZ Fishing Rules app before you go.
• The Ōtākou Mātaitai covers the lower harbour inside a line from the end of the Mole to Taiaroa Head, running up the peninsula shore past Wellers Rock. Commercial fishing is banned inside it, and it is managed by tangata tiaki through Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou. Check MPI for any bylaws before fishing inside the line.
• Set nets can’t be used or carried in a closed area at the harbour entrance off the Mole and Taiaroa Head. MPI’s South-East rules page has the map and coordinates.
• The ORC Navigation Safety Bylaw 2026 has applied since 1 June 2026. Everyone on a boat 6 m or less must wear a lifejacket. Boats over 6 m must carry a working VHF radio and listen on channel 14 in the shipping channel. Between sunset and sunrise, or in poor visibility, every boat must contact Harbour Control before entering or crossing the channel (VHF 14 or 03 472 9882).
• Keep out of the moving prohibited zone around large ships: 100 m astern and to each side, and 1,000 m ahead when underway, plus 100 m around any tug working with them. Don’t anchor in the channel without the harbourmaster’s approval.
• Don’t land on the headland: the reserve is closed to the public. Drones need a permit, and DOC asks people to stay at least 10 m from seals.

Tackle and Bait Nearby

• Hunting & Fishing Dunedin (Allan Millars), 141 Crawford Street, Dunedin: fishing gear and local advice. Stock up before you launch, as there is no tackle shop at the head.

Official Sources for Taiaroa Head

Common Questions

Can you fish from the shore at Taiaroa Head?
No. The headland is the Pukekura/Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve, and the public can’t enter it. Fishing here is from a boat only.

What can you catch off Taiaroa Head?
Salmon, trolled inside the harbour and outside the entrance off the head, and blue cod on the open coast to the south and east.

Where do I launch a boat to fish Taiaroa Head?
Inside Otago Harbour. The council has jetties and ramps at Careys Bay near Port Chalmers and at Bayfield, and a dinghy ramp at Deborah Bay.

Do I need a licence to fish off Taiaroa Head?
No licence is needed for sea fishing. MPI’s South-East rules apply.

Can I troll in the Otago Harbour shipping channel?
Yes. Drift fishing and trolling with handheld rods or lines are allowed in the channel, except inside the moving prohibited zone around a ship.

What radio channel does Otago Harbour use?
Harbour Control is on VHF channel 14. Boats over 6 m must listen on it in the channel, and every boat must call before entering the channel at night.

Is Taiaroa Head inside the Ōtākou Mātaitai?
The mātaitai’s outer boundary is a line from the end of the Mole to Taiaroa Head, so the harbour side of that line is inside it. The open coast off the head is outside it.

Can I visit Taiaroa Head?
Yes, as a visitor. The road ends at the Royal Albatross Centre, which runs tours into the reserve, and the cliff and Pilots Beach viewing platforms are free.

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Sources and data notes 1

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