A man's body was discovered in the surf of a wild west coast beach in Kaipara by a member of the public.
Police reported the man was found face down in the water south of Omamari Beach, around 30km northwest of Baylys Beach, around 10.45am on Sunday.
A spokesperson said initial enquiries indicated he had been fishing alone at the time in a remote area of the beach.
The alarm was raised by a member of the public immediately after they discovered the man's body.