Hawaii Deep Sea Fishing | Go Hawaii

Deep Sea Fishing

Scroll to Continue

Deep Sea Fishing in Hawaiʻi

Whether you want to chase game fish or just spend a relaxing day on the water, deep sea fishing in Hawaiʻi is a fun adventure. Anglers will love the variety of fish available in Hawaiʻi’s waters, including marlin, yellowfin tuna (ʻahi), dorado (mahimahi) and wahoo (‘ono), to name a few. The Kona Coast off the island of Hawaiʻi is perhaps the most popular destination for deep sea fishing, but there are a variety of fishing charters departing from most of the islands.


Kauaʻi

Great deep sea fishing can be found all around Kauaʻi thanks to deep waters close to the shore. Within just one-quarter mile of the island, some areas of the ocean drop to 1,000 feet. Most fishing charters depart from Nāwiliwili Harbor in Līhuʻe or Port Allen Harbor on the South Shore. The island is also in the middle of the migration patterns of many fish; species that can be found in the waters off Kauaʻi include spearfish, sailfish, swordfish, mahimahi, ‘ono, uku, trevally and five types of tuna.


Oʻahu

Most of Oʻahu’s deep sea fishing is available off the island’s Leeward Coast. Charters depart from Kewalo Basin in Honolulu, about one to two miles from Waikīkī, or Olina on the west side of the island, about 35 miles from Waikīkī. The largest reported marlin ever caught was near Olina and weighed 1,805 pounds! Other fish that live in the waters off Oʻahu are striped and short-billed marlin, pacific blue, sailfish, skipjack and yellowfin tuna, mahimahi, ‘ono, trevally and barracuda. (Many of these fish can be tried at Oʻahu’s local restaurants, too.)


Maui

Similar to Oʻahu, the best deep sea fishing in Maui is found off the West side of the island. Take a charter from Māʻalaea Harbor, which is about a 5–15 minute drive from Kīhei, or from Lāhainā Harbor, which is about 10–20 minutes from Kāʻanapali and Kapalua resorts. Fishing off of Maui is seasonally based and fish can be caught year round, but the best time is the “golden zone” from May to June when marlin, tuna, mahimahi and trevally are abundant. Many of the same fish found off of Oʻahu are also found in Maui’s waters, including the pacific blue, wahoo (‘ono), shark, barracuda and Hawaiian salmon.

Island of Hawaiʻi

Considered the mecca for deep sea fishing in Hawaiʻi, the Kona Coast has a huge ocean drop off that descends thousands of feet not too far from the island’s coast. Charters depart from Honokōhau Harbor, which is located between the Kona Airport and town of Kona. These deep waters, nicknamed “Grander Alley,” are known to produce large marlins over 1,000 pounds. There are many varieties of big game fish in the area, including pacific blue marlin, sailfish, black marlin and striped marlin. Ono, mahimahi and tuna are also frequent daily catches.

More

Find More Adventures in the Hawaiian Islands

Explore Adventures

Deep Sea Fishing in Hawaiʻi

Filter Results
showing 1 - 4 of 4

View the Digital Hawaiian Islands Official Visitors’ Guide

View Guide

Download VR Experiences To Explore More of Hawaiʻi

Download Hawaiʻi VR on iTunes