Tasman District’s coast takes in western Tasman Bay, the Abel Tasman coast, Golden Bay and Whanganui Inlet (Westhaven). It is in MPI’s Challenger area, and Tasman District Council’s navigation bylaw covers its waters out to 12 nautical miles.
Reports current for Thursday, 8 October
Every one of the 3 Tasman waters we cover has a live read this morning. 3 are scoring 4 out of 5 or better, and none is slow. Water is around 14 °C. Pressure is falling on most of them, the trend our model scores highest.
Best right now: Kaiteriteri 4/5, Māpua 4/5, Motueka 4/5
Live verdicts from this morning's reports.
A Tasman town whose boats go out over the shifting Motueka bar, with launching at the power boat club marina and scallops closed since 2018.
A Tasman village with a council-owned wharf, a tide-limited ramp at Grossi Point and a reserved lane out to the Māpua bar.
A beach and estuary with a fee-paying reserve boat ramp that is poor at spring low tides, under Tasman District Council’s navigation bylaw.
Species activity across the covered waters, written for the southern year. Peak of the year: January.
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.
Seasonal surface curve for the dominant water type here, in degrees Celsius (estimated, not a reading).
Read from the agency page named on each row, on the date shown, and calculated for 2026 from the rule as written: a date written as a day of the week is computed, not copied. Species with no published closure are not listed, which is not the same as open.
| Fishery | 2026 | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitebait season | Open 2026-09-01 to 2026-10-30 | Whitebaiting is allowed only from 1 September to 30 October inclusive, 5 am to 8 pm (6 am to 9 pm in daylight saving). The West Coast has its own gear rules, not different dates. | Department of Conservation, whitebaiting regulations, read 2026-10-07 |
| Southern scallop fishery (SCA 7) closed | Closed, no reopening date | Marlborough Sounds, Tasman Bay, Golden Bay and Port Underwood have been closed to scallop fishing since 15 July 2018, until further notice. | Fisheries New Zealand (MPI), Challenger area fishing rules, read 2026-10-07 |
| Scallop season | Open 2026-07-15 to 2027-02-14 | Scallop season 15 July to 14 February. | Fisheries (Amateur Fishing) Regulations 2013, read 2026-10-07 |
| Water | Type | Live data | Peak month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motueka fishing report | Coast | modelled tide | Jan |
| Māpua fishing report | Coast | modelled tide | Jan |
| Kaiteriteri fishing report | Coast | modelled tide | Jan |
No scallops may be taken in Golden Bay or Tasman Bay: the southern scallop fishery has been shut there since mid-July 2018. Set netting is banned from Farewell Spit to Cape Soucis out to 4 nautical miles, and on the west coast from Farewell Spit southwards out to 2 nautical miles. MPI splits blue cod between its Kahurangi area (Heaphy River to Farewell Spit) and its Tasman area (Farewell Spit to the Clarence River). The district council adds that wharves, jetties and ramps are meant first for boating, and that a line placed where it could obstruct navigation can draw a NZ$100 instant fine.
The council names Tonga Island Marine Reserve on the Abel Tasman coast and Whanganui Inlet in Golden Bay as no-fishing areas; DOC says Whanganui Inlet (Westhaven) was the first New Zealand estuary protected from land to sea by a combination of marine and wildlife reserves.
Nelson is the reference port for Tasman Bay and Golden Bay: LINZ refers Motueka, Māpua, Kaiteriteri, Tarakohe, Motupipi Inlet, Collingwood and Farewell Spit to it, with daily tables for Māpua, Kaiteriteri and Tarakohe. Whanganui Inlet and Cape Farewell are referred to Westport instead. The council’s updated Navigation Safety Bylaw took effect on 1 December 2024, and its infringement regulations come into force on 22 October 2026.
The council points freshwater anglers to Nelson/Marlborough Fish & Game, whose region includes the Motueka catchment and Golden Bay.
No. Both have been closed since 15 July 2018 until further notice, for recreational and commercial fishers alike.
Yes, but the district council asks you to keep lines clear of moorings and boats and to lift them when a boat approaches; obstructing navigation can cost a NZ$100 instant fine.
Nelson, for Tarakohe, Collingwood and Motupipi Inlet among others. Whanganui Inlet is the exception, referred to Westport.
The facts on this page were checked against these pages, from the agencies, park services and operators that manage the water on 7 October 2026; anything we could not verify was taken out.