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Kewalo Basin Fishing Report

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

Honolulu’s charter harbor: Kewalo Basin is the launching point for Oahu’s offshore fishing.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Next tide
High 4:12 PM
Air / High
76 / 84 F
Wind
ENE 7 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 1612340, 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.

Kewalo Basin sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings clear skies, wind ENE around 7 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 84. Tides: high 4:12 AM and 4:12 PM, low 10:00 AM and 10:32 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 85 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 1612340 (Honolulu, HI). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH4:12 AM1.7 ft
LOW10:00 AM0.3 ft
HIGH4:12 PM1.9 ft
LOW10:32 PM0.1 ft
Sat
HIGH4:52 AM1.8 ft
LOW10:50 AM0.4 ft
HIGH4:42 PM1.7 ft
LOW10:55 PM0.1 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp76 F
High / Low84 / 75 F
WindENE 7-18 mph
Pressure1013.0 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain18% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:17 / 18:38
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 · Showers, 84/75 F, wind 10 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Kewalo Basin: 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 Kewalo Basin 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 Kewalo Basin 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 86 F, wind to 12 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 88 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 85 F, wind to 21 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 fishing in Hawaii, but size, season and area rules apply to many species: check current DAR regulations.

Access

Kewalo Basin harbor, charter fleet and adjacent Kakaako waterfront shoreline in Honolulu.

About this water

A small-boat and charter harbor on the south shore of Oahu between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki.

Fishing Kewalo Basin: the full guide

A working harbor in the city

Kewalo Basin sits between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, a small-boat harbor that is the main charter base on the south shore of Oahu. Boats leave from here for mahi-mahi, ono, ahi, marlin and other pelagics on the deep water just offshore, and the harbor walls and nearby shoreline give land-based anglers papio, goatfish and reef species.

Offshore from the basin

The bottom drops off steeply within a short run of the harbor, which is why Honolulu supports a charter fleet at all: crews are on the fishing grounds within twenty minutes. Trolling lures and live bait for mahi, ono and ahi is the standard program, with marlin taken through the summer months by boats working the deeper current lines.

Shore fishing the harbor

The harbor walls, the nearby Kakaako waterfront and the shoreline rocks produce papio on whipping lures, goatfish and menpachi on bottom rigs, and ulua at night for anglers with heavy tackle and patience. It is convenient urban fishing, though the harbor is busy with commercial and charter traffic through the day.

Honolulu logistics

Kewalo Basin has parking, charter offices and the boat harbor itself, minutes from Waikiki and downtown. Charters run half and full days and are the practical way to reach the offshore fishing. Respect the working harbor: commercial vessels have priority and posted restrictions are enforced.

Common questions

How far is the offshore fishing?

Close: the bottom drops off steeply within a short run, putting boats on the grounds in about twenty minutes.

Can I fish from shore?

Yes: harbor walls and the nearby waterfront give papio, goatfish and ulua at night on heavy tackle.

What do charters target?

Mahi-mahi, ono and ahi year-round, with marlin through the summer months.

Is fishing good at Kewalo Basin 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 Bay12 miKailua Bay12 miWahiawa Reservoir18 miWaianae Coast23 miWaimea Bay27 miKaunakakai56 mi
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