Hawai’i offers some of the best fishing in the world along with some of the best natural scenery. Knowing the best times of the year to head to Hawai’i will greatly improve your fishing success.

The best season to fish in Hawai’i is during the summer months and into the fall, from July to August. This is the peak time to go after the yellowfin tuna, as well as the blue marlin; billfish peak time is from September to November. 

Not only is Hawai’i one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but the fishing here offers anglers of all experience levels the chance to have the thrill of a lifetime. From the monstrous blue marlin to the tasty wahoo, the Hawai’ian waters feature some of the world’s best species of fish.

It is no doubt that Hawai’i is on the top of the bucket list of any serious international angler. Yet, for someone who has not fished here before, you likely don’t know the best times to fish this amazing state. That’s what I hope to answer for you in this article.

Best Time to Fish Hawai’i

The waters off Hawai’i’s shores offer an incredible number of different species. It is because of this that the fishing is truly great all year round. The best time to fish Hawai’i will depend on the species you are going after.

For example, if you’re after the mahi (dolphin fish), the best time to fish Hawai’i is from March to May. However, if the mighty blue marlin is at the top of your list, the best time to fish Hawai’i is at the end of summer into the fall, between September and November. 

That being said, wintertime offers some great fishing as well in Hawai’i. The skipjack tuna, called aku by the locals, and the yellowfin can be found in plenty during the winter months.

These fish offer an experience in themselves when reeling one in and are incredible to eat; some of the best-tasting fish in the world. 

I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic to create your combo.

For a complete breakdown of the best fishing times in Waikiki, please check out this helpful article I wrote.

Hawai’i Species Breakdown (Best Times)

The warm, tropical waters throughout most of the year make Hawai’i’s water teem with a vast array of species.

Some of these are the biggest the world has to offer while others have some of the tastiest meat you’ll have from a fish. Here we break down the major species you can find in the waters of Hawai’i. 

Marlin

This is the fish everyone wants to go after, especially the blue marlin. Because of its sheer size, the blue marlin is sought after both for its trophy fish status and the fight; many anglers spend multiple hours in the fighting chair for a single fish.

The peak season for the blue marlin is from June to August. The striped marlin peaks in the winter, from January to March. 

Wahoo (Ono)

The wahoo, known for its flaky white meat, is one of the fastest fish in the ocean, able to reach upwards of 60 mph. Though they can grow larger, the average weight of the wahoo in Hawai’i is around 100 pounds.

The peak season for the wahoo in Hawai’i is from mid-May through September, though some have been known to be caught during the fall and winter months. 

Dolphin

The dolphin fish, or mahi-mahi, are a schooling fish known to live around floating structures and debris offshore. They are great-tasting meat, but their size and blocked heads make them excellent trophy fish.

The dolphin fish peaks in Hawai’i in the winter, from December to April. However, they can be seen throughout the year as well. 

Big Eye Tuna

Tuna fishing in Hawai’i is a big business. Many commercial charters will seek after the big eye tuna for its meat, making it a very industrial species.

Anglers can expect the peak season of the big-eyed tuna to be between the months of November and April when double digits can be caught in a single trip. 

Trevally

Offshore fishing is what Hawai’i is known best for, but inshore species are just as prominent and fun to catch. The Trevally is a great species to catch as they put up an incredible fight.

Not to mention they can get as big as 100 pounds or more. The shallows of Honolulu are a great place to find the trevally. The peak season for the trevally is from May to September. 

Recommended Fishing Guides/Charters in Hawaii

These Hawaii-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.

Recommended Fishing Charters	Location
Oahu Pelagic Sportfishing	Honolulu, HI
Hawaii Ocean Adventure Tours FINNATTIC	Haleiwa, HI
Flyer Sportfishing	Haleiwa, HI
Sea Verse 3 Fishing Charters	Honolulu, HI
Five Star Sportfishing Hawaii	Honolulu, HI
Mariah Sportfishing – We Catch More	Kailua-Kona, HI
Ocean Addict Hawaii	Haleiwa, HI
Play N Hooky Sportfishing	Honolulu, HI
Go Get ‘Em Sportfishing	Kailua-Kona, HI
Silky Sportfishing	Kailua-Kona, HI
Hooked Up Sportfishing	Kailua-Kona, HI
Fire Hatt Sportfishing Charters	Kailua-Kona, HI
Ohana Fun Fishing	Honolulu, HI

Booking Fishing Charters in Hawai’i

To get the full experience when fishing in Hawai’i, you will likely want to book a fishing charter. Not only does this allow you to launch out into the deep waters where the big ones can be found, but these charters often have some of the most experienced guides in the area, nearly ensuring you get on the fish. In this section, we are going to look at the best season to book a fishing charter in Hawai’i.

Best season to book fishing charter in Hawai’i

Its tropical climate makes the waters off Hawai’i’s coasts to be teeming with fish most all year round. However, there are some seasons that are better than others in terms of booking a fishing charter in Hawai’i. 

The peak season for booking fishing charters in Hawai’i is from July to September, with July and August being extremely busy. Tourists flock to paradise, with many wanting to try their hand at deep-sea fishing. During these months, just about any species can be caught.

Many are after the blue marlin, with several tournaments being held during these months as well. The bite of other species, however, is not to be understated. The wahoo, mahi-mahi, and tuna are great offshore, while amberjack and groupers are great inshore. 

Winter, however, is likely the most overlooked time to fish in Hawai’i, at least anytime that isn’t Christmas or the New year.

If you can avoid those 2-3 weeks, and schedule your trip between November and early December, or late January and February, the fishing will still be phenomenal. The fish won’t be as big, but the fight and experience are still sure to please. 

Best time of day to fish in Hawai’i 

There are many factors that play into the best time of day to fish in Hawai’i, whether that be morning or afternoon. What I have found is the morning is the best time of day to fish in Hawai’i. 

Morning

Many fishing charters, regardless of how long of a trip you’ve scheduled, will leave first thing in the morning. Depending on where you’re headed, the start time may be before sunrise.

The goal is to get to the fishing waters right at daybreak, as the fish bite better due to them feeding in the low-light waters. However, this is also the busiest time of day for fishing in Hawai’i, so competition for the best waters can be high.

Afternoon

The biggest downfall to fishing in the afternoon in Hawai’i is the rain. Rainfall is greater in the afternoon than in morning times; this is especially the case in the summer months. But, if you don’t mind getting wet, there may be less competition out on the waters.

The fish don’t bite as often during the afternoon, either, though as the sun begins setting, the bite will increase until nightfall.

Best length of trip for booking a fishing charter in Hawai’i

When you start looking into scheduling your fishing expedition, you’ll notice several options available for the length of time your trip stays on the water. These options include ½-day, full-day, and some multi-day trips. Let’s break these different lengths down. 

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish Kauai, please check out this helpful article.

½-day

Depending on where you’ll be fishing, a ½ day trip may be all you need to catch the big one, or to catch a nice amount of wahoo, mahi-mahi, or yellowfin. Several areas in Hawai’i have deep waters extremely close to the harbor, such as Kona and Kauai.

These areas have steep ledges which allow for bigger fish to feed much closer to the shore. In these locations, a ½-day trip could be all you need. 

Full Day

While Kauai and Kona are within quick reach of deeper waters, there are other areas not so close. Oahu is 18 miles away from the deeper waters.

And, while the water is still relatively deep on the way out, giving the chance of decent fishing, the best bet is to do a full-day trip. This will give you plenty of time to land a marlin or to have multiple hooksets in one trip. 

Multi-day

The fishing charters in Hawai’i are not known for their multi-day trips, where dining and lodging overnight are done all aboard the ship. What is popular, though, is booking the same charter for two or more days in a row and going after different species each day.

One day you may go after the elusive blue marlin while the next you can focus on landing as many fish as possible.

Top fishing spots in Hawai’i

While there isn’t a bad fishing spot to be found on the entire set of islands, there are some fishing spots in Hawai’i better than the others. These are just a few of the top fishing spots in Hawai’i.

Penguin Banks

Penguin Banks is located on O’ahu, approximately 15 miles from the Hawai’i Kai boat harbor. It is an offshore structure that makes for the perfect convergence of baitfish and predators.

Here you’ll find a mix of species feeding, from pulls of dolphin fish to a monster blue marlin. The fishing here is great all year round, with the summer season being the peak for most species. 

Waianae

Located on the west side of O’ahu island, the Waianae Coast has quickly become a leader in fishing in Hawai’i. Off its coasts are 5 FADs (fish aggregation devices) which attract larger fish closer to shore. Because of these devices, blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, dolphin, and wahoo species are common to catch.

Many anglers can also be seen fishing from the shore for smaller of these species as well. Though tourist season will be in full swing, summertime is the peak season for fishing in Waianae, though some charters will go out in the winter.

Haleima

Deep waters aren’t more than a few miles off the coast of Haleima, making it easy access for marlin, wahoo, and tuna. However, inshore fishing is great here as well.

The local reefs are home to some amazing species such as the snapper, grouper, amberjack, and triggerfish. Fishing for these inshore species peak from February to April while deep-sea species peak from June to September.

Kailua-Kona

There’s no place else on the entire span of islands with the kind of fishing found in Kailua-Kona. Called simply Kona by the locals, this fishing spot is great for big game fishing, such as marlin and wahoo, from July to September.

However, because of its location on the islands and the mountainous terrain behind it on the Big Island, Kona is great for fishing all year round. The water is nearly as calm as a lake all year round, with the wind being blocked by the mountains. It’s a common occurrence for a 1000+ pound marlin to be caught year-round. 

For a complete guide to the best times & seasons to fish Kailua-Kona, please check out this helpful article I wrote.

Hawai’i fishing & the tidal impacts

Hawaii is different than many other fishing locations in the sense that Hawaii isn’t affected as much by tides. Due to several factors, the tides in Hawaii are minimal, but that doesn’t mean the water has no movement. In fact, Hawaii is at the center of four main ocean currents, making it known as the “convergence zone.”

These ocean currents cause a great deal of movement in the waters of Hawaii. This also lends to the fishing in that it brings bigger fish into the waters. This added movement in the waters also lends to fending times, effectively making all day every day prime hunting time for the predatory fish. 

Storms & Fishing in Hawaii

As the fishing season begins to peak in the summer months, so does the hurricane season. Hawai’i has its fair share of tropical storms and hurricanes, and they can have an enormous effect on the fishing in Hawai’i.

Fish are able to sense the change in the barometric pressure before the storms even hit, so the change to the fishing might occur well before the first clouds appear. 

As a storm begins to roll in, the fish tend to dive deep, away from the rough seas. Also, the heavy rainfall causes polluted runoff to enter the waters, which also sends the fish to safer, cleaner waters.

Not to mention, it is extremely unsafe to be out on the water when a storm like the ones which hit Hawai’i comes in. Don’t worry, though. The fishing returns to normal within a couple of days following the storm. 

Winter fishing in Hawai’i

The winter season is considered by many to be the offseason in terms of fishing, with many charters using most of this time to catch their breath.

However, there are some busy times during the winter season, especially from a week before Christmas to a week after the New year. This time is another peak vacation time, meaning the fishing charters tend to book up rather quickly. 

Don’t expect to land a monster when winter fishing in Hawai’i. Instead, you can expect to catch plenty of big-eyed tuna. The striped marlin is also known to make an appearance during this time of the year. 

Inshore, the bite can be rather decent. The amberjack, snapper, and trevally are in plenty, especially if bottom fishing.

One thing to keep in mind, though, when winter fishing in Hawai’i, is the size of the fish will be quite smaller, as the bigger fish tend to seek out warmer waters to the south.

For a complete breakdown of the best time to fish Maui, please check out this helpful article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Honolulu, please check out this helpful article.