Recreational size and daily limits in New Zealand depend on the MPI area you're fishing in. Pick a species and area below to see the minimum size, the daily limit and any local notes. Every limit comes from MPI's regional rules pages and shows the date we last checked it.
Can I keep it?
Pick the fish and where you're fishing. Add its length to check it against the minimum size.
Snapper in the Auckland and Kermadec area
- Minimum size
- 30 cm
- Daily limit
- 7 a day
- Combined finfish limit
- 20 a day
Local exceptions
- Auckland East (SNA1, North Cape to Cape Runaway, out to 200 nm): 7 per day, min 30 cm.
- Auckland West (North Cape to Tirua Point): 10 per day, min 27 cm.
- Kermadec Islands: 15 per day, min 27 cm.
Checked 22 October 2026 · Source: MPI. This is a guide; the official MPI rules apply.
How fishing limits work in New Zealand
Areas. MPI divides the coast into seven recreational fishing areas: Auckland and Kermadec, Central, Challenger, Kaikōura, South-East, Fiordland and Southland. Use the rules for the area you’re fishing in, not where you live.
Species limits and the combined limit. Some species have their own daily limit. Every finfish you keep also counts towards the area’s combined daily limit. Baitfish such as jack mackerel and yellow-eyed mullet have a separate, larger limit.
Shared limits. Some species share a limit. In Kaikōura, for example, albacore, bluenose, hāpuku and bass, kingfish and ling share one daily limit.
Accumulation. On multi-day trips you can hold more than one day’s catch of some species in some areas, as long as you didn’t go over the limit on any day. Fiordland allows no accumulation at all.
Your catch only. Only people who were there and fishing can count fish towards their limit. Recreational catch can’t be bought, sold or swapped.
Which fishing area am I in?
- Auckland and KermadecNorthland, Auckland, Waikato west and east coasts, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty to East Cape, and the Kermadec Islands
- CentralEast Cape to Wellington, Taranaki and the Manawatū and Wairarapa coasts
- ChallengerNelson, Marlborough (including the Sounds) and the West Coast of the South Island
- KaikōuraThe Kaikōura coast
- South-EastMost of Canterbury and Otago
- FiordlandThe Fiordland Marine Area, including the fiords
- SouthlandSouthland, Stewart Island/Rakiura and the subantarctic islands
Minimum sizes and daily limits by species
Daily limit per person in each area. means no limit for that species: it counts towards the area's combined finfish limit. Where the minimum size differs by area, the range is shown; each species page has the figure for every area.
| Species | Min. size | Auckland and Kermadec | Central | Challenger | Kaikōura | South-East | Fiordland | Southland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albacore | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | Varies | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Barracouta | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 20 | No species limit |
| Black Oreo | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Blue Cod | 30–33 cm | No species limit | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | 10 | 10 |
| Blue Moki | 40 cm | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | 15 | 5 | 15 |
| Bluenose | No minimum | 5 | 5 | 5 | Varies | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Butterfish | 35 cm | No species limit | No species limit | 5 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 15 |
| Cockles | No minimum | 50 | 150 | 150 | 50 | 150 | 20 | 150 |
| Crayfish | 6 cm | 2 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Gemfish | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Golden Snapper | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Grey Mullet | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Hake | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Hāpuku | No minimum | 2 | 2 | 2 | Varies | Varies | 3 | Varies |
| Hoki | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 5 | No species limit |
| Jack Mackerel | No minimum | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| John Dory | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Kahawai | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | 15 | 5 | 15 |
| Kina | No minimum | 50 | 50 | 50 | 20 | 50 | 30 | 50 |
| Kingfish | 75 cm | 3 | 3 | 3 | Varies | Varies | 3 | Varies |
| Leatherjacket | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Ling | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | Varies | No species limit | 5 | No species limit |
| Mussels | No minimum | 25 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 10 | 25 |
| Orange Roughy | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Oysters | No minimum | 100 | 250 | 250 | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit |
| Pacific Bluefin Tuna | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Pāua | 12.5–13 cm | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Pipi | No minimum | 50 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 20 | 150 |
| Pōrae | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
| Red Gurnard | 25 cm | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 5 | No species limit |
| Rig | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Sand Flounder | 23–25 cm | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 5 | No species limit |
| Scallops | 9–10 cm | 20 | 20 | 50 | No species limit | 20 | 0 | 10 |
| School Shark | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Snapper | 25–30 cm | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | No species limit |
| Sole | 25 cm | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 5 | No species limit |
| Stargazer | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 5 | No species limit |
| Tarakihi | 25 cm | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| Trevally | 25 cm | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 5 | No species limit |
| Trumpeter | 35 cm | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 15 | 15 | 5 | 15 |
| Tuatua | No minimum | 50 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | No species limit | 150 |
| Yellow-eyed Mullet | No minimum | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Yellowbelly Flounder | 25 cm | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 5 | No species limit |
| Yellowfin Tuna | No minimum | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | No species limit | 10 | No species limit |
"Varies" means the limit depends on a sub-area or is shared with other species; see the species page.
How to measure a fish
Measure in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the middle ray, or “V”, of the tail. Lay the fish flat on a measuring board or ruler with its mouth closed. If it’s shorter than the minimum, put it back straight away.
The one exception is blue cod landed headed and gutted, where that is allowed (parts of the Challenger, South-East and Southland areas). These are measured from the base of the side (pectoral) fin to the middle ray of the tail.
Closed areas and special rules
| Where | Affects | What applies |
|---|---|---|
| Marine reserves | All fishing | No-take: no fishing of any kind. They include the Poor Knights, Cape Rodney-Okakari Point (Goat Island), Tāwharanui, Long Bay-Okura, Tūhua (Mayor Island), Kapiti, Taputeranga and ten reserves in Fiordland. |
| Hauraki Gulf High Protection Areas (12) | All recreational fishing | Banned, under the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act 2025. |
| Hauraki Gulf Seafloor Protection Areas (5) | Fishing methods | Line fishing is still allowed. |
| Marlborough Sounds | Blue cod | Closed from 1 September to 10 January every year. |
| Fiordland | Several species | Lower limits inside the fiords, no blue cod at all in the Milford Sound closure area, and no hāpuku or bass in the Internal Waters. |
| Kaikōura | All fishing | The Hikurangi Marine Reserve and the Waiopuka (Wakatu Quay) reef area are closed. |
| Mātaitai and taiāpure | All species | Their own, lower limits, for example Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, Akaroa and Paterson Inlet. |
| Pārengarenga Harbour to Cape Rodney | Spiny rock lobster | Can’t be taken, from 1 April 2026. |
Freshwater: trout and salmon
Trout and salmon are sports fish. You need a Fish & Game licence to fish for them anywhere in New Zealand except the Taupō district, which needs a separate DOC Taupō licence. Children under 12 fish free but still need a licence.
Fish & Game sets seasons and limits by region. The default season for waters not listed separately is 1 October to 30 April, but many waters differ, and some, such as Lake Rotorua, are open all year. See brown trout and chinook salmon.
How we check these rules
Every limit on this site comes from one data file, copied from MPI’s regional rules pages and checked against them on the date shown. Species pages and this page read from the same file, so a limit is never typed in by hand. We re-check every area at least monthly and after any MPI announcement.
This is a guide. The official MPI rules apply, and local closures are added at short notice. Before you keep a fish, check the free NZ Fishing Rules app (iPhone and Android) for the area you’re fishing. If you spot a mistake, tell us and we’ll fix it the same week.
Questions
Do you need a licence to fish in the sea in New Zealand?
No. Recreational sea fishing needs no licence, but size limits, daily limits and closed areas still apply. Fishing for trout and salmon in fresh water does need a licence.
How do you measure a fish in New Zealand?
Measure in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the middle ray, or 'V', of the tail. Blue cod landed with the head off, where that is allowed, are measured from the base of the side fin to the middle of the tail.
Can I sell or swap fish I catch recreationally?
No. Buying, selling or swapping recreationally caught seafood is an offence under the Fisheries Act 1996, with fines of up to $250,000.
Does a fish I let go count towards my daily limit?
No. The daily limit is the number of fish you take and keep. Undersize fish must be returned to the water straight away.
What is a combined limit?
Every finfish you keep counts towards a combined daily limit for the area, as well as any limit for that species. The combined limit is 20 in most areas and 30 in Kaikōura, South-East and Southland.