Share your catch

Kaunakakai Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 11, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Molokai’s south shore: Kaunakakai fronts the longest fringing reef in Hawaii, with bonefish on the flats.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Next tide
High 4:05 PM
Air / High
78 / 89 F
Wind
ENE 6 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 1613198, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
11
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.

Kaunakakai offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind ENE around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 89. Tides: high 4:06 AM and 4:05 PM, low 9:49 AM and 10:23 PM: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 80 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:32 PM-1:32 AM and 11:32 AM-1:32 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 89 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 12, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Hawaii requires a fishing licence from age 9, from $5.00 for residents, and salt water needs its own licence here. What a Hawaii licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing giant trevally (ulua) here? Check the size and bag limits with DAR before you keep anything.

Water and weather

Live readings.

Tides

NOAA station 1613198 (Kaunakakai Harbor, Molokai, HI). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH4:06 AM1.8 ft
LOW9:49 AM0.3 ft
HIGH4:05 PM2.1 ft
LOW10:23 PM0.1 ft
Sat
HIGH4:44 AM1.9 ft
LOW10:37 AM0.4 ft
HIGH4:33 PM1.9 ft
LOW10:46 PM0.1 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low89 / 76 F
WindENE 6-12 mph
Pressure1012.8 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain5% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:14 / 18:34
MoonNew Moon, 0%
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 11 · Overcast, 89/76 F, wind 11 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 10

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 92 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 9

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 90 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 8

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 87 F, wind to 22 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

No license required for recreational shore fishing in Hawaii, but size and area rules apply to many species: check current DAR regulations and respect local access customs.

Access

Kaunakakai wharf and harbor, plus shoreline and flats access along the south shore.

About this water

The south shore of Molokai at Kaunakakai, fronting Hawaii’s longest fringing reef, Maui County.

Fishing Kaunakakai: the full guide

A reef flat unlike anywhere else

Kaunakakai sits on the south shore of Molokai, fronting a fringing reef that runs nearly 30 miles, the longest in Hawaii. The shallow flats inside the reef hold bonefish, which Hawaiian anglers call oio, along with papio, goatfish and other reef species, and the whole system sees a fraction of the pressure of the other islands.

Bonefish on the flats

The flats fishery is the draw: sight-casting to oio on the shallow sand and turtle grass on a moving tide, with flies and light spinning gear. Hawaiian bonefish grow large and are notoriously wary. Wade carefully, watch the tide, and expect to spend more time looking than casting. A guide shortens the learning curve substantially.

Shore and reef fishing

Beyond the flats, the wharf at Kaunakakai and the shoreline rocks produce papio, ulua at night, goatfish and reef species on bottom rigs and whipping lures. The reef edge holds larger fish for those with a boat or the local knowledge to reach it safely.

Molokai logistics

Kaunakakai is Molokai’s main town, with the wharf, a small harbor and modest services. The island has no resorts of scale and few visitors: come prepared and self-sufficient. Respect local access customs and private land, and treat the reef gently. Ferry and small-plane service connect from Maui and Oahu.

Common questions

Are there bonefish?

Yes: the shallow flats inside the reef hold oio, sight-fished on a moving tide with flies or light spinning gear.

Is it crowded?

No: Molokai sees a fraction of the visitors of the other islands, and the reef is lightly fished.

Do I need a guide?

Not required, but the flats are demanding and a guide shortens the learning curve considerably.

Is fishing good at Kaunakakai 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

Kahului Harbor38 miMaalaea Bay39 miKailua Bay49 miKaneohe Bay56 miKewalo Basin56 miWahiawa Reservoir70 mi
Share your catch