Hawaii fishing reports
121 reports for Hawaii — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Midday tide window stands out in warm Hawaiian saltwater
Warm water is the headline on Hawaiian saltwater this morning. NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340 read 83.8°F and station 1615680 read 80.4°F, both at 7:18 AM local time. Predicted high tides follow at 11:42 AM at station 1615680 and 12:29 PM at station 1612340, which makes the late-morning to early-afternoon stretch the timing to plan around.
Warm water and a morning tide set the window for Hawaiian anglers
Warm water is the headline across the Hawaiian Islands: NOAA buoys 51001, 51002 and 51004 read 79 to 82°F in the latest set, with air temperatures near 25 to 27°C. Trade winds at those buoys run roughly 14 to 17 knots, which keeps exposed shorelines choppy and makes sheltered water the better bet. Both NOAA CO-OPS tide stations put the morning low near 4 to 5 a.m. local time and a midday high around 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., so the moving-water window sits in the first hours of daylight.
Steady fall warmth across Hawaiian waters favors a lure-color test week
Hawaii's nearshore waters held warm overnight. NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340 off Honolulu read 83.8°F this morning, and station 1615680 off Kahului came in at 79.9°F, both solid numbers for the start of October. The roughly four-degree split reflects the usual difference between Oahu's more sheltered harbor water and Maui's more exposed channel. On technique, Salt Strong's inshore team reported dark-colored soft plastics drawing aggressive strikes from redfish this week, this after a reader survey found just 8% of anglers reach for dark colors as a confidence pick, a useful nudge to rotate lure color instead of defaulting to the usual go-to.
Hawaii's morning tide push sets up prime window as water holds warm
Nearshore water sits at 79.9°F per NOAA CO-OPS station 1615680, recorded in the early morning hours and squarely in the range that keeps Hawaii's reef and pelagic species comfortable heading into October. Both tracked tide stations show a morning high stacking up, station 1615680 near 6:10 a.m. local and station 1612340 close behind near 7:55 a.m., giving anglers a tight window to work the incoming push before the turn.
Warm Island Water Sets Up a Predawn Bite Window
Water stayed warm across the islands this week, with NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340 off Honolulu reading 83.5°F and station 1615680 to the east at 80.2°F — a real spread for water separated by one island chain, and a sign trade-wind mixing has eased going into early autumn. The tide cycle is running low overnight into a predawn high at both gages, the kind of turn that typically stacks bait against nearshore structure right as light breaks. Hawaii Fishing News keeps the islands' tide and moon calendar current, and this stretch sits under a waning gibbous moon, trimming down toward the new moon over the coming week.
Warm Water Holds Steady Across Hawaii's Nearshore Waters
Water temperatures across the islands sit in the high 70s to low 80s this week, with NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340 off Oahu reading 82.4°F and station 1615680 near Maui at 79.2°F as of Tuesday afternoon. Those readings sit squarely in the range that keeps Hawaii's nearshore and reef fisheries active through the tail end of September, with no cooling trend showing yet in the tide-station data. The next low tide off Oahu falls at 12:47 p.m. local time, with Maui's low arriving earlier at 10:10 a.m., giving anglers a clear window to plan an outgoing-tide session around midday.
Warm nearshore water holds steady as Hawaii's tides ease
NOAA CO-OPS readings taken this morning put water temperatures at 82.8°F off Honolulu and 79.2°F off Nawiliwili, Kauai, both squarely in the warm range that carries through Hawaii's late summer and early fall. The islands are moving through a waning gibbous moon, with tidal swings still relatively modest at both stations. Honolulu's tide peaks around 5:08 a.m. HST and bottoms out by late morning near 11:39 a.m., while Nawiliwili runs roughly two hours ahead, cresting near 3:26 a.m. and dropping through to 9:23 a.m. Those early windows are worth planning around for anyone working nearshore structure or channel edges this week.
Full moon tides energize Oahu and Maui waters
NOAA's tide gauges at Honolulu Harbor and Kahului read 82.9°F and 79.5°F this morning, holding onto the warmth that's carried through September. Today's full moon is driving a stronger spring tide cycle across the islands, with Honolulu's next low due at 10:41 a.m. HST and Kahului's next low at 8:41 a.m. HST.
Full Moon Tide Swings Set the Pace Across the Islands
NOAA's Honolulu tide station (1612340) is reading 84°F this week, with Kahului on Maui a touch cooler at 80.4°F (station 1615680) — both squarely in the range typical for the islands heading into fall. Tonight's Full Moon is pulling a bigger-than-average exchange through both stations: each shows an evening low giving way to a strong early-morning high, the kind of tide swing that gets current moving through channels and passes harder than a neap cycle would.
Waxing Gibbous Tides Bring Strong Overnight Movement to Hawaii's Nearshore Waters
Honolulu's NOAA CO-OPS gauge (station 1612340) is reading 85.3°F this evening, with the Kahului gauge (station 1615680) close behind at 81.9°F — both squarely in the warm range typical for nearshore Hawaiian waters heading into late September. The moon is Waxing Gibbous, building toward full, which is pulling a wider tidal swing through the islands overnight.
Building tides and steady warmth signal Hawaii's fall bite window
Honolulu Harbor is running warm at 84°F this morning (NOAA CO-OPS station 1612340), while Kahului Harbor reads a touch cooler at 81°F (station 1615680). Station 1615680 shows a high tide predicted for 12:49 PM HST today, giving the midday hours a clear tidal push worth planning around. Both readings sit well within typical late-September norms for the islands, and the moon is waxing gibbous, building toward next week's full moon.
Trade-wind chop builds around the islands as fall transition sets in
Buoy 51004, south of the islands, is reading 83°F water with wind pushing near 19 knots this morning, while buoy 51001 off the northwest coast holds a steeper 6.2-foot sea at a cooler 79°F. That split is the useful read for planning this week: calmer, warmer water on the leeward corners, more texture where faces are exposed to the trades. NOAA's Honolulu station (1612340) has its next low at 6:43 a.m. HST with the following high near 1:32 a.m., while the Kahului-area station (1615680) shows a low at 5:35 a.m. and high around 12:49 p.m. Hawaii Fishing News keeps the state's moon and tide calendar running month to month, a useful cross-check against this waxing gibbous moon.
Fishing in Hawaii
Hawaii is blue-water country. The Kona coast is one of the most famous marlin fisheries on the planet, deep ledges like Penguin Bank hold tuna and bottomfish, and shore casters chase ulua, the hard-fighting giant trevally, from the rocks the way mainlanders chase stripers. Freshwater is a small but real bonus, with peacock bass swimming in a handful of island reservoirs.
When to fish Hawaii
Mahimahi and ono move through in good numbers, and the marlin fishing off Kona starts building toward its summer peak. Calmer weather windows open up more days for small boats and kayak anglers.
This is the season Kona is famous for, when blue marlin fishing is as good as anywhere on earth and the big tournaments roll through. Shore fishing for ulua picks up too, with long summer nights on the ledges.
Yellowfin tuna remain a mainstay for the offshore fleet, and the mixed-bag trolling for mahimahi, ono, and billfish stays productive. It's a quieter, less crowded stretch with plenty of fish still around.
Winter brings striped marlin into Hawaiian waters along with spearfish, and the deep-drop bottomfishing for onaga and opakapaka carries on when the wind allows. Pick your weather days and the fishing is still world-class.
Waters to know
Wayfinder builds a plan for your exact water and day from live buoys, gauges, tides, and recent reports. Free, about 30 seconds.
Common questions
Do I need a license to fish in Hawaii?
Hawaii handles licensing differently than most states: a license is required for freshwater fishing, while recreational saltwater fishing from shore generally does not require one. Hawaii DLNR sells freshwater licenses online, and area-specific rules do apply, so check the current regulations before you fish.
What fish can I catch in Hawaii?
Offshore it's blue and striped marlin, yellowfin and other tunas, mahimahi, ono, and spearfish, with onaga and opakapaka on the deep bottom. From shore the prize is ulua, along with papio, oio, and reef species, and the freshwater reservoirs hold peacock bass and largemouth.
When is the best time to fish Hawaii?
Summer is peak season for the famous Kona blue marlin fishing, while winter brings striped marlin and spearfish through. Something is biting offshore in every month, so the honest answer is whenever you can get here with a decent weather window.
Where can I check current Hawaii fishing conditions?
This page carries our current Hawaii fishing reports, built daily from NOAA buoys, USGS river gauges, tides, and local sources. For a plan built around your exact water and day, try the free Wayfinder trip planner.
Seasons and limits change: verify current regulations with Hawaii DLNR before keeping fish.
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