Kawakawa Bay Fishing: Boat Ramp, Waitawa Wharf and Shore Spots

Last updated October 2026

Kawakawa Bay is a rural settlement in the north-west corner of the Firth of Thames, about 55 km south-east of downtown Auckland past Clevedon. Its all-tide boat club ramp is a launching point for the Firth of Thames, the western Coromandel and the waters around Ponui Island.

From the shore, snapper and kahawai are fished at the east end of the bay near the boat launch, and the old wharf at Kōherurahi Point in neighbouring Waitawa Regional Park has deep water that can be fished at all tides. The bay itself is shallow, with wide flats at low tide.

At a Glance

Location

Kawakawa Bay, about 15 minutes east of Clevedon, south-east Auckland

Type

Shallow sandy bay with a boat club ramp, a public ramp and a park wharf nearby

Water

Firth of Thames, Hauraki Gulf (sea)

Main species

Snapper and kahawai from the shore; snapper and flounder by boat

Shore spots

East end of the bay near the boat launch; Waitawa Regional Park wharf at Kōherurahi Point

Boat ramp

Kawakawa Bay Boat Club, all tide; $20 day pass for non-members (2026/27)

Toilets

Council park beside the bay on Clevedon-Kawakawa Road

Watch for

Wide flats at low tide; strong currents at the Waitawa wharf

Tide port

Sandspit Passage (LINZ secondary port on Auckland)

Rules

MPI Auckland and Kermadec (Auckland East); no licence needed for sea fishing

What Makes It Worth the Trip

The bay is about 2.5 km across and faces north towards Waiheke, Ponui, Pakihi and Karamuramu islands. Pāwhetau Point marks the western end, the small rocky Iwirahirahi Point (Whitford Point Reserve) sits in the middle, and the boat launch is at the eastern end. The road runs right around the bay, with room to park beside the beach for most of its length.

Kawakawa Bay Boat Club runs the main ramp, an all-weather, all-tide launch inside a breakwater with three pontoons. The ramp closed for about three months from October 2023 while worn-out pontoons were replaced with new ones built to last 30 years or more.

The club has around 1,500 members and launches seven days a week, and the ramp can be extremely busy in summer.

Next door, Waitawa Regional Park covers the old Orica manufacturing site. Its wharf at Kōherurahi Point was once private and signposted against anglers; the land is now a regional park and the wharf is a popular all-year fishing spot.

Waitawa lies on a traditional boundary between Te Urikaraka (Ngāti Paoa) and Ngāti Kohua (Ngāi Tai and Te Waiohua), and Pāwhetau Pā stood at the western end of Kawakawa Bay.

How to Fish Kawakawa Bay

From the beach

Shore anglers fish the east end of the bay near the boat launch, mainly for snapper and kahawai. The bay is shallow and drains to wide flats at low tide, so plan your session around the tide: moving water around the tide changes usually fishes better, and you need enough water in front of you to reach the fish.

Waitawa wharf

The wharf at Kōherurahi Point in Waitawa Regional Park is the best-known shore spot nearby. Auckland Council describes it as deep water that can be fished at all tides, and it is popular all year round. There is no vehicle access to the wharf, so walk in from the park car parks (mobility parking is at the wharf and Mātaitai Bay car parks), and expect strong currents. Mooring and berthing are not allowed, and dogs are banned on the wharf.

From a boat

In a 2019 holiday fishing report, boats out of Kawakawa Bay did better in deeper water than on the shallow flats, where holiday boat traffic put the fish off.

Slow jigs and soft baits worked in 30 to 40 m, the Firth of Thames and the mussel farms produced good snapper, and flounder were running, with sharks following them. In light current, use small sinkers and keep the bait moving.

What to catch

• Snapper: from the east end of the bay, the Waitawa wharf and, by boat, the deeper water of the Firth of Thames and around the mussel farms.
• Kahawai: from the shore at the east end of the bay.
• Flounder: reported by boat anglers fishing out of the bay.

Getting There and Facilities

• Road: about 55 km, or a little under an hour, from downtown Auckland via the Southern Motorway, Hill Road, Clevedon and Clevedon-Kawakawa Road.
• Boat club ramp: 48/86 Kawakawa Bay Coast Road. Open to members and to the public for a fee. For 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027 a non-member day pass is $20, a new membership $200 and a renewal $120.
• Public ramp: about 200 m south of the club ramp. Council says it is usable only around the top of the tide and suits smaller boats.
• Toilets: the council park at 1482R Clevedon-Kawakawa Road, beside the bay, has toilets, changing rooms, a playground, picnic tables and a large car park. Dogs must be on a leash there.
• Waitawa Regional Park: 1168 Clevedon-Kawakawa Road. The park’s old boat ramp is closed to launching, and dogs are banned on the wharf and in the picnic areas.
• Shops: the settlement has a store and takeaway, a service station and a motel.

Rules and Safety

• Sea fishing here follows MPI’s Auckland and Kermadec rules (Auckland East). No licence is needed.
• Shellfish closures nearby run from 7 August 2026 to 6 August 2028: cockles at Umupuia Beach (near Duder Regional Park), mussels, pāua and packhorse rock lobster within 1 nautical mile of Waiheke, and cockles, mussels, oysters and pipi on the Thames coast at Te Mātā and Waipatukahu. None covers Kawakawa Bay itself, but check MPI before gathering anywhere along this coast.
• Recreational fishing is banned in the Pakatoa and Tarahiki / Shag Island High Protection Area east of Waiheke and in Te Matuku Marine Reserve on Waiheke’s south-east coast. If you head north by boat, check DOC’s maps first.
• Strong currents run past the Waitawa wharf. The bay drains to wide flats at low tide, so watch the tide if you walk out.
• Boaties: wear lifejackets, check the marine forecast, carry two ways to call for help, and use VHF channel 16, *500 or 111 in an emergency.
• Safeswim monitors water quality at Kawakawa Bay: check it after heavy rain.

Tackle and Bait Nearby

• Top Catch Clevedon, 22 Papakura-Clevedon Road, Clevedon: bait and tackle on the way out, open from early morning every day.

Where to Learn More

Kawakawa Bay: Common Questions

Where can you fish from the shore at Kawakawa Bay?
At the east end of the bay near the boat launch, mainly for snapper and kahawai, and from the wharf at Kōherurahi Point in Waitawa Regional Park next door.

Can you fish from the Waitawa wharf?
Yes. Council describes it as deep water that can be fished at all tides. There is no vehicle access, dogs are banned on the wharf and the current is strong.

How much does it cost to use the boat ramp?
The Kawakawa Bay Boat Club ramp costs $20 a day for non-members in 2026/27, or you can join the club.

Is there a free boat ramp?
There is a public ramp about 200 m south of the club ramp, but council says it is usable only around the top of the tide and suits smaller boats.

What can you catch at Kawakawa Bay?
Snapper and kahawai from the shore. Boat anglers fishing the deeper water of the Firth of Thames and around the mussel farms report snapper, with flounder at times.

Do I need a fishing licence?
No. You do not need a licence for sea fishing, but MPI’s Auckland and Kermadec rules apply.

Are there shellfish closures near Kawakawa Bay?
Not in the bay itself, but cockles are closed at Umupuia Beach and several shellfish around Waiheke and on the Thames coast until August 2028.

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