The body of a man has been located in the water near Whangapoua during the search for a missing fisherman, police have confirmed.

The body was located yesterday evening at around 5:40pm by a Coastguard fixed-wing plane, south of Kennedy Bay.

Police believe the man to be a fisherman who was reported missing after he left in his boat from the Whangapoua boat ramp at about 9am on Friday and failed to return.

The boat belonging to the fisherman was located empty yesterday afternoon. A private vessel came across the missing boat, named Tubby, approximately 24 nautical miles off the coast of Whitianga.

'Next of kin are being notified and police's thoughts are with his family,” says a police spokesperson.

'Police would like to thank all those involved in the search.”