Pacific
Fly fishing in Hawaii
Short answer
Hawaii has one trout fishery: stocked rainbow trout in the Kōkeʻe Public Fishing Area on Kauaʻi, open from mid-June to the end of September. Everywhere else the fly rod is for bonefish on the flats and bluewater species offshore. A freshwater game fishing licence is required from age nine for Kōkeʻe.
What makes Hawaii different
Hawaii has trout, which surprises people, and the way it runs them surprises people more. The Kōkeʻe Public Fishing Area on Kauaʻi, 3,500 feet up in the cool uplands above Waimea Canyon, is stocked with rainbow trout and opened for a season that runs from the middle of June to the end of September. Nearly all the fish now come from Puʻu Lua Reservoir rather than the streams. The rules are unlike any trout fishery on the mainland: one line, one single barbed hook, no treble hooks, a bag limit of seven — and catch and release is not permitted at all. Every trout you hook must be kept and counted. The rest of Hawaii's fly fishing is saltwater, and the bonefish — called ʻoʻio here — run larger than Caribbean fish and are considered among the hardest in the world to catch.
What trout and other fish are in Hawaii?
- Rainbow trout
- Stocked at Kōkeʻe on Kauaʻi. The only trout in the state, and only in season.
- Bonefish
- Called ʻoʻio. Large, extremely wary, and the serious fly target here.
- Giant trevally
- Ulua. Hunted from the rocks and the flats, and capable of ruining tackle.
- Bluefin trevally
- Omilu. Smaller, common on the flats, and a realistic fly-rod fish.
- Barred jack and papio
- Juvenile trevally on the shallow flats, and a good introduction.
Where to fly fish in Hawaii
- Puʻu Lua Reservoir
- Kōkeʻe, Kauaʻi. Where almost all the trout are caught, three quarters of a mile off Mile Marker 12.
- Kōkeʻe streams and ditches
- In the same area, but stream stocking was discontinued and the fishing there is poor.
- Kaneohe Bay flats
- Oʻahu. Bonefish on sand and turtle grass, within reach of Honolulu.
- Molokaʻi south shore
- A long shallow reef flat, and the best bonefish water in the islands.
- Hilo and Kona coasts
- Big Island. Trevally from the rocks and bluewater a short run offshore.
- Kahului and Maʻalaea flats
- Maui. Bonefish and papio, and easier wading than most of the state.
When to fly fish in Hawaii
| When | What is happening |
|---|---|
| Mid-June – September | The Kōkeʻe trout season, daily from 6am to 6pm until the end of September. |
| April – October | The best bonefish months on the flats, with warm water and settled trade winds. |
| November – March | Winter swells make flats fishing hard on exposed shores. Fish the lee sides. |
| Year-round | Trevally are available every month, which is more than can be said for the trout. |
Do you need a license to fly fish in Hawaii?
Yes. Licenses are issued by Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources.
| License | Price |
|---|---|
| Resident, annual | $5 |
| Non-resident, annual | $25 |
Figures are the freshwater game fishing licence, which is what Kōkeʻe requires. Non-resident tourist options are $10 for seven days and $20 for thirty. Residents 65 and over fish free, and minors aged 9 to 15 pay $3. Saltwater fishing is licensed separately. Prices change — check with the agency before you buy.
Rules worth knowing before you go
- A freshwater game fishing licence is required from age nine to fish Kōkeʻe. Residents 65 and over fish free.
- The Kōkeʻe season runs from mid-June to 30 September, daily from 6am to 6pm.
- Catch and release is NOT permitted at Kōkeʻe. Every trout caught must be kept and counted against a bag limit of seven.
- One line only, with a single barbed hook, lure or bait. Treble hooks are banned.
- Saltwater fishing is separate: non-residents now need a recreational marine licence, and many species carry size and season limits.
Regulations change every year and vary water by water. The Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources rule book is the only authority — this page is a starting point, not a legal reference.
Flies that matter in Hawaii
Each of these is a card in the deck, and each has a full page in Our Fly-brary.
Keep reading
- Do I need a fishing license? — how licensing works across states
- How to read water — where trout hold, anywhere
- Best time of day to fly fish — the seasonal logic behind the table above
- Our Fly-brary — every fly in the deck, explained
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The deck
54 flies, drawn by hand, in your jacket pocket.
A 54-card fly-fishing deck of original hand-drawn flies, each explaining what it imitates. Made by a father-and-daughter team in Eagle, Idaho.
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