South Island NZ · New Zealand

Fiordland Sounds fishing forecast

52 Good of 100

Fiordland Sounds is a saltwater fishing spot in South Island NZ, New Zealand. Anglers here target Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Yellowtail Kingfish, Mutton Snapper. The most productive months are typically November, December, January, February, March, April.

Quick answer

Best monthsNovember, December, January, February

Top speciesAtlantic Bluefin Tuna, Yellowtail Kingfish, Mutton Snapper

Score now52/100

Local rulesNew Zealand

Today’s verdict

Ranks #399 of 437 spots FishRadar scored worldwide today

Trending down — 12 points below this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most

Water temperature+25.0Waves+9.0Wind+8.0

Pressure trend

Pressure data unavailable

Best window today

05:00 · Light wind (0 km/h) and calm seas

Next solunar peak

dusk 06:34

Current conditions

Sea surface temp	12.7 °C
Wind	5 km/h from SSE, gusting 13 km/h
Current	0.02 m/s toward WNW
Pressure	1009 hPa
Cloud cover	27%
Chlorophyll	6.01 mg/m³
Salinity	34.8 PSU
Mixed-layer depth	7 m
UV index	3
Wind sea	0.0 m
Ground swell	0.0 m at 0 s
Current shear (surface vs 50 m)	0.02 → 0.00 m/s

The water here is 2.8 °C warmer than the September average of 9.9 °C. Warmer-than-normal water pushes cool-water species deeper and brings warm-water species in earlier than the calendar suggests. The water is mixed to about 160.6 m, so surface temperature carries well down the water column.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Fiordland Sounds

Fiordland Sounds currently scores 52 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 12.7 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +25.0: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Chlorophyll +5.4: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Chlorophyll front +5.0: a plankton edge — classic feeding line
Barometric pressure +3.3: falling pressure often triggers feeding

What’s biting now

The model expects today: hapuka, bluenose-warehou, australian-salmon, silver-trevally, snapper-australasian

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Crescent · 14% lit

Solunar day rating

50 / 100

Best months for Fiordland Sounds:

Score history at this spot

30 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-08-12, 74/100

7 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

16 points below the same day last week

About this spot

Water type

Sea

Open coastal saltwater — conditions and safety depend heavily on the live wind, wave, and tide forecast, so check them before you head out.

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore-only

What you can catch

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

Thunnus thynnus
Yellowtail Kingfish

Seriola lalandi
Mutton Snapper

Lutjanus analis

Best months by species at Fiordland Sounds

Atlantic Bluefin TunaThunnus thynnus
Yellowtail KingfishSeriola lalandi
Mutton SnapperLutjanus analis

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)

New Zealand

Species	Bag limit	Min size	Open season
Atlantic Bluefin TunaOfficial source	0/day	—	—
Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) is a quota-managed species in NZ. Recreational take is highly restricted. CCSBT quotas apply. Check MPI for current status — mostly catch-and-release.

Licensing:

saltwater-recreational — residents No licence required for recreational sea fishing in New Zealand coastal marine area., non-residents No licence required.

Some rules may have changed since our last verification — always confirm with the authority before you fish.

FishRadar regulations are summaries for informational purposes only. NZ fishing rules vary by Quota Management Area (QMA). Always verify with MPI at mpi.govt.nz before fishing.