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Hilo Bay Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Big Island’s rainy side: Hilo Bay mixes stream water and reef, holding papio, ulua and bonefish.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Next tide
Low 3:11 AM
Air / High
75 / 79 F
Wind
NW 3 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 1617760, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Hilo Bay sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 3 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 79. Tides: high 10:18 AM, low 1:34 AM: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 80 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Giant trevally (ulua)Excellent

Work current-swept points and channel mouths on the moving tide: GTs patrol where reef meets flow. Heavy tackle is respect, not caution: the first run decides everything.

Mahi-mahi (dorado)Excellent

Troll rigged ballyhoo and small lures along color changes and temperature breaks: schools ride the edges. Birds working low usually mean mahi pushing bait.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 84 F with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

Tides

NOAA station 1617760 (Hilo). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
LOW1:34 AM0.2 ft
HIGH10:18 AM2.3 ft
Sat
LOW3:11 AM0.3 ft
HIGH11:35 AM2.5 ft
LOW7:28 PM1.0 ft
HIGH10:34 PM1.1 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low79 / 71 F
WindNW 3-10 mph
Pressure1013.6 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 94%
Sunrise / Sunset06:05 / 18:32
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~80 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 79/71 F, wind 9 mph, rain 94%

Slow. High rain chance; fish the front edge before it arrives.

Species guide

The species that matter on Hilo Bay: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Giant trevally (ulua) illustration

Giant trevally (ulua)

Best: summer moons, big tides

The reef's apex bully: Hawaii's ulua, a hundred pounds of shoulder that eats poppers like personal insults. Work current-swept points and channel mouths on the moving tide: GTs patrol where reef meets flow. Heavy tackle is respect, not caution: the first run decides everything.

Mahi-mahi (dorado) illustration

Mahi-mahi (dorado)

Best: summer weedline runs

The ocean's fastest-growing gamefish: neon gold-and-green acrobats stacked under anything that floats. Troll rigged ballyhoo and small lures along color changes and temperature breaks: schools ride the edges. Birds working low usually mean mahi pushing bait.

When to come: the Hilo Bay calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Giant trevally (ulua)
Mahi-mahi (dorado)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 80 F (estimated, not a reading).

7080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~80 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Hilo Bay today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Giant trevally (ulua) led the card at excellent. High of 81 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Giant trevally (ulua) led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Giant trevally (ulua) led the card at excellent. High of 83 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Hawaii requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Hawaii requires no recreational saltwater license, but species size limits, seasons and protected areas apply: check current DAR regulations.

Access

Hilo breakwater, Bayfront Beach Park, Wailoa River State Park and Reeds Bay; small-boat launch at Wailoa.

About this water

A bay on the northeast coast of Hawaii Island fed by the Wailuku and Wailoa rivers, Hawaii County, Hawaii.

Fishing Hilo Bay: the full guide

A bay fed by rivers

Hilo Bay curves along the northeast coast of Hawaii Island, unusual among Hawaiian bays for the fresh water pouring in from the Wailuku and Wailoa rivers. That mix creates brackish habitat rare in the islands: bonefish (oio) on the flats, papio and ulua along the breakwater and reef, plus mullet, tilapia and introduced species in the river mouths and Wailoa pond system.

Shoreline fishing

The Hilo breakwater is the classic spot: nearly a mile of rock extending into the bay, holding ulua, papio and reef species, fished with heavy gear at night and light tackle by day. Bonefish work the shallow flats inside the bay, and the river mouths concentrate fish when rain pushes fresh water and bait out. Shore access is generous and free.

Weather and the runoff

Hilo is one of the wettest cities in the United States, and rain governs the fishing: heavy runoff browns the bay and pushes fish out, while settled weather clears it and brings them back onto the flats. Trade winds are lighter here than on the windward side of other islands, making fly casting more practical.

Big Island logistics

Access is straightforward: the breakwater, Bayfront Beach Park, the Wailoa River State Park area and Reeds Bay all provide shoreline fishing minutes from downtown Hilo. Small boats launch at Wailoa. Hawaii requires no recreational saltwater license, but species rules and protected areas apply: check current regulations before keeping fish.

Common questions

What can I catch from shore?

Papio and ulua along the breakwater, bonefish on the flats, plus reef species and mullet near the river mouths.

Does rain matter?

Enormously: Hilo is among the wettest cities in the country, and runoff browns the bay and moves fish out until it settles.

Do I need a license?

Not for recreational saltwater fishing in Hawaii, but species rules and protected areas apply: check the current regulations.

Is fishing good at Hilo Bay right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Kona61 miMaalaea Bay119 miKailua Bay207 miKaneohe Bay213 miWahiawa Reservoir227 miWaianae Coast234 mi
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