All waters · Hawaii · Hilo Bay (Big Island)

Hilo Bay (Big Island), HI

Bay in Hawaii County, Hawaii. Hilo Bay on the windward east side of Hawaii Island is the main nearshore fishery for the wet side of the Big Island, sheltered by the Hilo breakwater. The bay and its breakwater, reef, and river mouths hold ulua (giant trevally) and papio, omilu (bluefin trevally), oio (bonefish), and reef fish, with mullet and moi taken seasonally. Boats launch from Wailoa and Hilo harbor for nearshore and offshore trolling for mahi mahi, ono, and ahi. No saltwater license is required, but DAR size and bag limits and the summer moi closure apply. Cooler, less salty surface water near the river mouths.

65

Overall bite score

Scored 1 min ago · recomputed every 30 minutes

Water tempModeled100
Pressure trendNOAArising50
Tide phaseNOAA70
SolunarComputedmoon 62% lit63
Recent stockingState data50
Time of dayComputed50
WindNOAA70
Cloud coverNOAA35
PrecipitationNOAA50

Each instrument reads 0 to 100. The score is their weighted blend, tuned for tidal water. No black box: every reading names its source.

What swims here

6 tracked species in Hilo Bay (Big Island), with the months each fishes best.

Bluefin Trevallycommon
Bonefishcommon
Giant Trevallycommon
Mahi Mahicommon · best Mar-May, Sep-Nov
Wahoocommon
Yellowfin Tunacommon · best Jun-Sep

Water facts

TypeBay
CountyHawaii
StateHawaii
WaterSaltwater, tidal
NOAA station1617760

Shore casting along the Hilo breakwater, bayfront, and river mouths; boat launches at Wailoa and Hilo harbor. Water temperature is informed by the NOAA Hilo Bay (Kuhio Bay) tide station (1617760), which reports live water temperature, plus a warm-stable tropical baseline. No recreational saltwater fishing license is required in Hawaii; DAR size and bag limits apply (moi closed June 1 through August 31).

See the full forecast for Hilo Bay (Big Island) in the app: best windows, 7-day outlook, what to bring, and offline regulations. The score and essentials are free.

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