Visit Whitebait fishing regulations for general whitebaiting guidelines and information about regulations.
Share your whitebaiting experiences
Complete the 2025 season survey and go in the draw to win a $200 Hunting & Fishing voucher.
The survey will take 5–10 minutes to complete. Your response will remain confidential and will only be used by DOC.
What are whitebait?
Learn about whitebait with these activities for children. Run the maze, complete the word search, play the Whitebait Quest game with your family. You can also design your own native fish.
- Whitebait activity sheet (PDF, 4,400K) This file should be printed on A3 paper.
- Love NZ whitebait activity book (PDF, 6,374K) This file should be printed on A4 paper.
If you don't have a printer or can't print the right size, email whitebait@doc.govt.nz with your name and full address. We'll post one to you.
This factsheet provides an overview of what whitebait are, their lifecycle, and how you can protect them and their habitats.
Help whitebait thrive
Whitebaiting is a classic Kiwi past time that gets people outdoors with whanau and friends. Find out what you can do to help sustain the future whitebait fishery.
Whitebait and how you can help
Biosecurity for whitebaiters
Moving between waterways has the potential to spread freshwater pests such as gold clam, didymo, and lindavia (lake snow), that can clog nets and choke waterways, including whitebait habitats. Protect New Zealand’s waterways by following:
- South Island Check Clean Dry for whitebaiters and powerboat users (PDF, 304K)
- North Island Check Clean Dry for whitebaiters (PDF, 288K)
Conversations with whitebaiters
Whitebaiting is regarded by some as a cultural taonga. In 2023, DOC collected whitebaiter memories from across the country to help understand the human face of the whitebait fishery.
These oral histories record 21 different whitebaiters reminiscing about the reasons they bait, where they do it and how their families have been involved over the generations.
These oral recordings and transcripts are available for research purposes, contact whitebait@doc.govt.nz for further information.
Regulations and consultations
Perceptions of Aotearoa New Zealand whitebait fishery
This report records whitebaiters describing themselves and their fishing experience. It includes why and where they fish, what gear they use, and what impacts the recent regulation changes have had on their fishing. The data collected will help identify the issues of most concern to whitebaiters and inform future whitebait fishing practices.
Perceptions of Aotearoa New Zealand whitebait fishery 2022 (PDF, 9,269K)
Whitebait season information
These reports detail the information gathered, nationally and at pilot sites, during the 2021 and 2022 whitebait seasons, to inform a more comprehensive approach for future seasons.
- 2021 whitebait season information capture (PDF, 13,900K)
- 2022 whitebait season information capture (PDF, 4,187K)
Contacts
Contact your local DOC office for more information or email whitebait@doc.govt.nz.