A MACKAY region boatie has warned a mysterious metal pipe sticking out of the ocean off Hay Point could puncture a boat hull if not removed.

Campwin Beach's Luke Bale was dropping in a line as the sun was rising on Saturday morning when he glimpsed the water hazard about five metres from his boat.

Located between Hay Point and Prudhoe Island (at coordinates S21°17.322, E149°31.420), he said the unknown object was hard to see in the morning light.

"I was just going slow because it was just dark and when the sun came up that's what I found,” he said.

"I've never seen anything like it before on the water. It used to be close to where the day moorings, or cyclone moorings, were off Hay Point and they were removed at the beginning of last year, I think.

"Maybe this has been left there. It's roughly six to eight miles off the coast.

"I was trying to get closer to put a float on it as a marker, but I really didn't want to put a hole in my boat.”

Mr Bale said the object "looked pretty old” and may have been hiding under the water for quite some time.

"But it was only dead low tide when I saw it - I doubt you'd spot it at any other time,” he added.

A spokesman for Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) at Hay Point said radio broadcasts were being made about the water hazard.

He said VTS would likely head out to examine it Tuesday afternoon to find out more.

The water was about 18 metres deep at the location, which indicated the pipe wasn't connected to the sea floor, the spokesman said.

Mr Bale has advised Maritime Safety Queensland of the hazard, but VMR Mackay was not aware of it earlier today.