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Maalaea Bay Fishing Report

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

Maui’s windward funnel: Maalaea Bay holds papio, bonefish and the whales that winter offshore.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Next tide
Low 2:21 AM
Air / High
81 / 83 F
Wind
NE 12 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 1615680, 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.

Maalaea Bay sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings a mixed sky, wind NE around 12 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 83. Tides: high 10:24 AM, low 12:36 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 86 F. 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 1615680 (Kahului Harbor). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
LOW12:36 AM0.2 ft
HIGH10:24 AM2.2 ft
Sat
LOW2:21 AM0.3 ft
HIGH11:36 AM2.4 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low83 / 73 F
WindNE 12-32 mph
Pressure1012.7 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain30% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:10 / 18:39
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, 83/73 F, wind 17 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 17 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Maalaea 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 Maalaea 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 Maalaea 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 85 F, wind to 15 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 89 F, wind to 11 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 85 F, wind to 16 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 size limits, seasons and protected areas apply: check current DAR regulations.

Access

Maalaea Harbor for boats and charters; beach and rocky point access around the bay.

About this water

A broad bay on Maui’s central isthmus between the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala, Maui County, Hawaii.

Fishing Maalaea Bay: the full guide

A bay between mountains

Maalaea Bay curves along Maui’s central isthmus between the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala, a broad shallow bay with sand flats, reef edges and a harbor at its center. Trade winds funnel through the isthmus and blow hard most afternoons. The fishery is Hawaiian inshore: papio and ulua along the reef and rock, bonefish on the sand flats, plus goatfish and reef species.

Shore and flats

The sand flats hold bonefish (oio) that cruise on the tide, sight-fished with crab and shrimp patterns or whole shrimp on light spinning gear when the wind allows. Papio patrol the reef edges and harbor structure, taking small jigs, plugs and flies. Ulua are the night fishery for shore casters using heavy gear off the rocky points.

Wind and timing

The trades define everything here: mornings are the fishable window, with afternoons often blowing 25 knots or more through the isthmus. That wind makes Maalaea famous for windsurfing and difficult for fly casting. Winter brings humpback whales into the bay in numbers, one of the best viewing areas in the islands.

Maui logistics

Maalaea Harbor provides the main boat access with a substantial charter fleet running offshore for pelagics. Shore access is straightforward along the beaches and the rocky points at either end. Kihei and Wailuku are minutes away. Hawaii requires no recreational saltwater license, but species rules and protected areas apply.

Common questions

How bad is the wind?

Strong most afternoons: trades funnel through the isthmus at 25 knots or more. Mornings are the fishing window.

Are there bonefish?

Yes: the sand flats hold oio, sight-fished on the tide when wind allows, with shrimp or crab patterns.

When are the whales?

Winter, roughly December through April: Maalaea is among the best humpback viewing areas in the islands.

Is fishing good at Maalaea 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

Kona86 miKailua Bay89 miKaneohe Bay95 miWahiawa Reservoir110 miWaimea Bay116 miWaianae Coast117 mi
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