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Kona Fishing Report

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

The calm side of the Big Island: granders in the harbor's shadow, ulua on the ledges, and the deepest nearshore blue water in America.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Next tide
Low 3:48 AM
Air / High
83 / 83 F
Wind
W 7 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 1617846, 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.

Kona offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind W around 7 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 83. Tides: high 10:56 AM, low 2:11 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 84 F with a rain chance. 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 1617846 (Kailua Kona). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
LOW2:11 AM0.2 ft
HIGH10:56 AM1.9 ft
Sat
LOW3:48 AM0.2 ft
HIGH12:13 PM2.0 ft
LOW8:05 PM0.6 ft
HIGH11:12 PM0.9 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp83 F
High / Low83 / 74 F
WindW 7-18 mph
Pressure1012.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain7% cloud, 40%
Sunrise / Sunset06:09 / 18:36
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 · Overcast, 83/74 F, wind 7 mph, rain 40%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

The species that matter on Kona: 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 Kona 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 Kona 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 85 F, wind to 7 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 85 F, wind to 6 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 86 F, wind to 8 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

No license for recreational shore fishing in Hawaii; boats: state rules on gear/species. Billfish: release culture strong, tournament rules govern. Check DAR.

Access

Honokohau Harbor charter fleet and ramp, Kailua Pier, shore ledges along Ali'i Drive and the north points.

About this water

Big-game port on Hawaii Island's leeward coast. The blue-marlin capital of the Pacific, 6,000 ft deep within sight of shore.

Fishing Kona: the full guide

The thousand-fathom doorstep

Kona's lee-side calm and absurd bathymetry (6,000-ft depths within three miles) built the world's most storied big-game port: blue marlin year-round (the 'grander' club was practically founded here), yellowfin ahi runs, mahi and ono on every ledge line. Charters troll lures born in these waters: the Kona-style lure is the global standard because this coast wrote it.

The FAD and ledge system

The state's FAD buoys and the natural ledges (VV's, the Grounds, C-buoy) organize the blue water: run the circuit at dawn, watching for birds over bait balls. Otaru tuna feeds erupt seasonally; mahi stack the debris lines after storms. Half-day trips produce legitimately here because the deep water starts at the harbor mouth: no long runs, just fishing.

Shore game: ulua and whipping

Kona's lava ledges host Hawaii's shore-casting tradition: slide-bait rigs soaked overnight for ulua (giant trevally) at the famous points, and daytime 'whipping' with poppers and jigs for papio, small ulua and the occasional shore-hooked ono at the deep ledges. No saltwater license needed from shore: respect for swell, locals and protocol very much needed.

Timing the Kona year

Summer (June-September): peak blue marlin and the tournament circuit (HIBT's home water). Winter: striped marlin and spearfish (Kona is the world's shortnose spearfish capital January-April), steady mahi. Year-round: ahi on the ledges when currents cooperate, bottom fishing for deep snappers, and calm seas almost daily: the lee of Mauna Loa is the fishery's real superpower.

Common questions

What is a grander?

A marlin over 1,000 lb: Kona's waters have produced more of them than almost anywhere on earth. Summer is peak blue marlin; every season holds the chance.

Can you fish Kona without a charter?

Yes: shore whipping at the ledges (poppers at dawn for papio and ulua) needs no license, and the Kailua Pier area entertains families. But Kona's essence is the blue water: even a shared half-day charter puts you over 3,000 ft of possibility.

Is fishing good at Kona 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

Hilo Bay61 miMaalaea Bay86 miKailua Bay165 miKaneohe Bay171 miWahiawa Reservoir184 miWaianae Coast189 mi
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