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Nawiliwili Bay Fishing Report

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

Kauai’s harbor bay: Nawiliwili gives up papio, ulua and bottom fish from shore and boat.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Next tide
High 3:54 PM
Air / High
77 / 81 F
Wind
ENE 9 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 1611400, 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nawiliwili Bay sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings a mixed sky, wind ENE around 9 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 81. Tides: high 3:48 AM and 3:54 PM, low 9:30 AM and 10:03 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)Excellent

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 81 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 1611400 (Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
HIGH3:48 AM1.6 ft
LOW9:30 AM0.3 ft
HIGH3:54 PM1.8 ft
LOW10:03 PM0.2 ft
Sat
HIGH4:30 AM1.7 ft
LOW10:17 AM0.5 ft
HIGH4:19 PM1.6 ft
LOW10:25 PM0.2 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp77 F
High / Low81 / 76 F
WindENE 9-17 mph
Pressure1013.6 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain42% cloud, 5%
Sunrise / Sunset06:23 / 18:44
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, 81/76 F, wind 11 mph, rain 5%

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 Nawiliwili 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 Nawiliwili 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 Nawiliwili Bay 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 82 F, wind to 11 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 84 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 8

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 40 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Giant trevally (ulua) led the card at excellent. High of 83 F, wind to 40 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 required for recreational shore fishing in Hawaii, but size, season and area rules apply to many species: check current DAR regulations.

Access

Nawiliwili Beach Park, the breakwater and jetty areas, and Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor for launching.

About this water

A harbor bay on the southeast coast of Kauai at Lihue, Kauai County, Hawaii.

Fishing Nawiliwili Bay: the full guide

A harbor on the southeast shore

Nawiliwili Bay sits on the southeast coast of Kauai at Lihue, a working harbor and cruise port with a breakwater, jetties and a river mouth where the Huleia and Nawiliwili streams enter. Shore anglers work the rocks and the harbor walls for papio, ulua, goatfish and reef species, while boats run offshore for pelagics.

Shore fishing the structure

The breakwater and jetties are the productive shore ground: whipping lures for papio along the rocks, slide-bait and heavy tackle for ulua at night, and bottom rigs for goatfish, menpachi and other reef fish. The river mouths draw fish on outgoing water, particularly after rain pushes food into the bay.

Offshore from the harbor

Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor is the main launch on this side of Kauai, and charters run from it for mahi-mahi, ono, ahi and marlin along the drop-offs and current lines offshore. Winter can bring big surf and wind to the exposed water; summer conditions are far more forgiving for small boats.

Kauai logistics

Access is via Nawiliwili Beach Park, the harbor area and Kalapaki, with parking and facilities. Lihue and the airport are minutes away, making it the most convenient fishing access on Kauai. Respect the working harbor: commercial traffic and port security limit some areas, and posted restrictions are enforced.

Common questions

What can I catch from shore?

Papio on whipping lures, ulua on slide bait at night, and goatfish and reef species on bottom rigs.

Is there a launch?

Yes: Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor is the main launch and charter base on this side of Kauai.

Are areas restricted?

Parts of the working harbor are: respect posted port restrictions and commercial traffic.

Is fishing good at Nawiliwili Bay right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Hanalei Bay20 miWaianae Coast83 miWaimea Bay86 miWahiawa Reservoir91 miKaneohe Bay106 miKewalo Basin106 mi
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