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Kailua Bay Fishing Report

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

Windward Oahu’s turquoise bay: Kailua holds bonefish on the flats and papio along the reef.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Next tide
Low 2:43 AM
Air / High
80 / 82 F
Wind
ENE 17 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 1612480, 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Kailua Bay sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings a mixed sky, wind ENE around 17 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 82. Tides: high 10:40 AM, low 1:02 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)Good

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: Similar at 83 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 1612480 (Mokuoloe (windward Oahu)). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
LOW1:02 AM0.2 ft
HIGH10:40 AM2.2 ft
Sat
LOW2:43 AM0.2 ft
HIGH11:44 AM2.4 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp80 F
High / Low82 / 77 F
WindENE 17-41 mph
Pressure1013.3 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain57% cloud, 71%
Sunrise / Sunset06:15 / 18:44
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, 82/77 F, wind 18 mph, rain 71%

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

Species guide

The species that matter on Kailua 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 Kailua 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 Kailua Bay today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Giant trevally (ulua) led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 20 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Giant trevally (ulua) led the card at excellent. High of 84 F, wind to 18 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Giant trevally (ulua) led the card at excellent. High of 83 F, wind to 17 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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; size limits, seasons and protected areas apply: check current DAR regulations.

Access

Kailua Beach Park, Lanikai shoreline and the Kailua boat ramp; kayak access to the Mokulua islands.

About this water

A bay on Oahu’s windward coast between Mokapu and Lanikai, Honolulu County, Hawaii.

Fishing Kailua Bay: the full guide

A bay of sand and reef

Kailua Bay curves along Oahu’s windward coast between Mokapu Peninsula and Lanikai, a bay of white sand, scattered coral heads and the Mokulua islands offshore. The sand flats hold bonefish (oio), the reef edges and rocky points hold papio and ulua, and the whole bay sits in the trade wind belt that governs when fishing is practical.

Bonefish on the flats

The sand and turtle-grass flats hold oio that cruise on the incoming tide, sight-fished with crab and shrimp patterns on fly or whole shrimp on light spinning gear. Hawaiian bonefish run large by world standards. The wind is the constraint: mornings before the trades build are the fly-casting window.

Papio and ulua

Papio patrol the reef edges, channels and the rocky points at either end of the bay, taking small jigs, plugs and flies. Ulua are the night fishery for shore casters with heavy gear off the rocks. Various reef species, goatfish and mullet fill out the shoreline fishing, and the Mokuluas offer deeper water for those with kayaks.

Windward logistics

Access is straightforward and public: Kailua Beach Park, Lanikai and the boat ramp at Kailua Bay serve anglers, with kayak rentals abundant given the paddling to the Mokulua islands. Parking fills early on weekends. Hawaii requires no recreational saltwater license, though species rules and protected areas apply.

Common questions

Are there bonefish?

Yes: the sand flats hold oio that run large by world standards, sight-fished on the incoming tide.

When can I fly cast?

Mornings, before the trade winds build: afternoons are usually too windy for comfortable fly casting.

Can I fish the Mokuluas?

By kayak, yes: the islands offer deeper water and reef edges, with rentals widely available in Kailua.

Is fishing good at Kailua Bay right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Kaneohe Bay6 miWahiawa Reservoir21 miWaimea Bay27 miWaianae Coast30 miMaalaea Bay89 miHanalei Bay127 mi
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