Last updated November 2026
One Tree Point is a low sandy point on the western side of Whangārei Harbour, a few kilometres inside the entrance from Marsden Point.
The harbour’s main channel swings in close along the north side of the point, while wide sand flats run east towards Marsden Bay. It is a quiet, sheltered spot to fish from the shore on a moving tide, with a car park on the point, boat ramps nearby and toilets at Marsden Bay Reserve.
At a Glance
- Location
- End of One Tree Point Road, One Tree Point; Marsden Bay Reserve is on Marsden Bay Drive
- Water
- Inner Whangārei Harbour (sea)
- Main species
- Snapper, kahawai, trevally and kingfish are among the harbour’s fish
- Best time
- Moving water around the tide changes; high tide on the eastern flats
- Suits
- Families and shore anglers; sheltered from the open sea
- Getting there
- About 30 minutes’ drive from Whangārei city; car park at the end of One Tree Point Road
- Toilets
- Marsden Bay Reserve
- Boat ramps
- One Tree Point, Marsden Bay and Marsden Cove Marina
- Tide port
- Marsden Point (LINZ standard port)
- Cost
- Free
- Low 2:01 am 0.6 m
- High 8:24 am 2.6 m
- Low 2:22 pm 0.7 m
- High 8:31 pm 2.5 m
Best times today: around 2:01 am, 8:24 am, 2:22 pm and 8:31 pm (2 hours either side of each tide change), and around 1:10 am and 12:46 pm (moon overhead and underfoot).
Moving water around the tide changes usually fishes best. Full 7-day Whangārei tides ›
Predictions only; actual tides vary with weather.
What to Expect
One Tree Point is an inner harbour community next to Marsden Cove, on the western side of Whangārei Harbour. The harbour runs about 23 km inland from Bream Bay, and from One Tree Point you look across the water to Mount Manaia and the hills of Whangārei Heads. Manaia is an important ancestor of the Whangārei tribes.
Seen from above, the point is a short tongue of sand at the end of One Tree Point Road. Deep water comes right up to its northern tip, where the harbour channel bends past on its way up to Whangārei.
East of the point the shore is lined with houses along One Tree Point Road and fronted by broad sand flats that dry out at low tide, with the channel edge further out.
Further east, Marsden Bay Reserve sits on the shore of Marsden Bay, between One Tree Point and Northport. The reserve has a beach, picnic spots, a playground, toilets and a boat ramp, with views across the harbour to Whangārei Heads.
Marsden Cove Marina, next door, has public boat ramps, fuel berths, a café and a few shops, and is home to the Marsden Cove Fishing Club.
How to Fish One Tree Point
Where to stand
The tip of the point is the place to start. The channel runs close past it, so a moderate cast reaches deep water, and the car park is only a few steps away.
Along the eastern shore the flats are wide and shallow, so fish there around high tide, when the water covers the sand and fish can move in to feed. Marsden Bay Reserve gives another stretch of beach further east, with toilets and parking behind it.
Read the water
The tide moves a lot of water through the channel past the point. Fish travel along the edge where the flats drop into the channel, and they tend to feed while the water is moving rather than at slack tide. At low tide the flats east of the point are mostly dry sand, so check the tide before you go.
What to catch and what to use
- Snapper: fish fresh bait into the channel off the point, where the deeper water is within easy casting range.
- Kahawai and trevally: both are in the harbour. Smaller baits and lures cast along the channel edge give you a chance at either.
- Kingfish: DOC lists kingfish among the fish of Whangārei Harbour. They are a bonus from the shore, so use a rod and line that can stop a strong fish if you target them.
- Mackerel: also listed for the harbour, and useful as fresh bait for the bigger fish.
What to bring
Fresh bait, a sand spike, a landing net and a chair: the point is low, flat and easy to fish from. Buy bait and tackle in Whangārei or Ruakākā before you come.
Getting There and Facilities
- Driving: One Tree Point is about 30 minutes from Whangārei city. Follow One Tree Point Road to its end at the point, where there is a car park.
- Marsden Bay Reserve: on Marsden Bay Drive, with off-street parking, toilets, a water fountain, picnic tables, a playground and a boat ramp.
- Boat ramps: DOC lists public boat ramps at One Tree Point, Marsden Bay and Marsden Point, and Marsden Cove Marina has public ramps and fuel.
- Food: the café and shops at Marsden Cove Marina are the closest.
- The harbour entrance: for surfcasting where the harbour meets Bream Bay, see our Marsden Point fishing guide.
Rules and Safety
- Whangārei Harbour comes under MPI’s Auckland and Kermadec rules, and it is east coast water where the two coasts’ limits differ. There is no licence for sea fishing.
- Marine reserve: the Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserve is across the harbour at Whangārei Heads (Motukaroro Island and Waikaraka), not at One Tree Point. You cannot take anything inside its boundaries.
- Shellfish: Marsden Bank and Mair Bank, off Marsden Point to the east, are closed to all shellfish gathering until 28 June 2028.
- Dogs: dogs can be off-leash on the One Tree Point foreshore from the Marsden Yacht Club south-east to the car park and foreshore access opposite 189 One Tree Point Road. Dogs are banned at all times on Marsden Bay beach from the groyne east to Northport, and must be on a leash in Marsden Bay Reserve.
- Boats and current: keep clear of the boat ramps and of boats using them, and watch children near the channel edge at the point, where the water gets deep quickly and the tide runs.
Find Out More
MPI Auckland and Kermadec fishing rules: current size limits, daily limits and closures for Whangārei Harbour.
Whangārei District Council: Marsden Bay Reserve: facilities, parking and the boat ramp.
DOC: Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserve: where the no-take reserve areas are across the harbour.
One Tree Point: Common Questions
Where do you fish at One Tree Point?
From the tip of the point at the end of One Tree Point Road, where the harbour channel runs close in. The eastern shore and Marsden Bay Reserve fish best around high tide, when the flats are covered.
What can you catch at One Tree Point?
Snapper, kahawai, trevally, kingfish and mackerel are all in Whangārei Harbour. Ask at a tackle shop in Whangārei about what has been caught from the shore lately.
Do I need a fishing licence?
No. Harbour fishing from the shore or a boat needs no licence, but MPI’s Auckland and Kermadec limits apply to what you take home.
Is there a boat ramp at One Tree Point?
Yes. DOC lists public boat ramps at One Tree Point and Marsden Bay, and Marsden Cove Marina next door has public ramps and fuel.
Are there toilets?
Yes, at Marsden Bay Reserve on Marsden Bay Drive, along with picnic tables, a playground and a water fountain.
Can I take my dog?
Dogs can be off-leash on the One Tree Point foreshore between the Marsden Yacht Club and the access opposite 189 One Tree Point Road. They are banned on Marsden Bay beach between the groyne and Northport.
Is One Tree Point good for kids?
It is sheltered from the open sea and the point is flat and close to the car park. Watch children near the channel edge, where the water deepens quickly.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- Tides today: Tide predictions: LINZ (CC BY 3.0 NZ).