A body has been found near an area where Auckland police were searching for missing fisherman Nick Stubbs.

Police recovered the body in the water near Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf this afternoon.

The death had been referred to the Coroner.

22-year-old Mr Stubbs went missing after setting off in a dinghy near Warkworth on October 14 with 37-year-old Stewart Atutahi.

The body of Mr Atutahi, who was skippering the dinghy, was found the next day near Kawau Island.